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A HISTORY OF THE MINISINK REGION. 



A HISTORY 

9/ 7 J v 

O F T HE 

MINISINK REGION: 

WHICH INCLUDES THE PRESENT TOWNS OF 

MINISINK, DEERP ARK, MOUNT HOPE, GREEN- 
VILLE AND W AW AY AND A, 

IN ORANGE COUNTY, NEAV YORK, 

FROM THEIR ORGANIZATION AND FIRST SETTLEMENT TO THE PRESENT TIME: 



ALSO, INCLUDING 



A GENERAL HISTORY OF THE FIRST SETTLEMENT 
OF THE COUNTY. 



BT 

CHARLES E. STICKNEY. 



abis is mv ofott, mg naiifae lanb!" 



MIDDLETOWN, N. Y. : 
COE FINCH AND I. F. GUIWITS, PUBLISHERS. 

1867. 



fill 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1867, 

By CHARLES E. STICKNEY, 

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern Diitrict of 

New York. 



Ooe Finch. Printer. Middletown, N. Y. 



PREFATORY REMARKS. 



Reader : Before you commence the perusal of the following History, 
allow me to say that, if you wish to avoid disappointment, you will please 
bear in mind that it has not been written with the object of presenting to 
your view a brilliant piece of composition, or of absorbing your attention 
with the interest of a fascinating romance. No deep-laid plot of mystery 
or ideal love pervades its pages to lure you on from line to line — from be- 
ginning to end. It has been intended rather as a true record of past events 
— of statistics connected therewith — of old traditions that have survived 
the touch of time, — and in short, of the records and incidents that go to- 
wards forming a History of the Minibink Region, the first-settled portion 
of Orange County. To many these will prove of barren interest ; and I 
deem it proper to say to you that this work has been written more for the 
purpose of supplying a void in our local history — more to preserve the de- 
tails (now fast sinking into oblivion) of our ancestors' struggles with labor 
and inconvenience, coupled with the wiles of a savage foe, while rearing 
their humble cabins, when — 

■ Hit echoing »xe t lie settler Bwang," 

in the wilderness two centuries ago; — more to review their actions and 
remember their deeds and sufferings in the glorious war of the Revolution, 
and their prosperity since — than to please the idle fancy for a moment, and 
then be thrown aside forgotten. 

It is intended as a book useful for reference to the scholar — to those who 
like to sit by the fireside of an evening and review the doings of the olden 
time; and as a foundation perhaps for some future historian to build an 
abler work upon. If it shall accomplish but a part of this, my labor will 
have been rewarded. 

And, reader, if it should gain your approval by furnishing needed in- 
formation, or by causing some weary hour to glide smoothly away j if, 



^ili PREFATORY REMARKS. 

when the dark hours that visit all of us are upon you— when disappoint- 
ments, and troubles, and treacherous friends, enshroud your path, and you 
wish to banish gloomy thoughts— if, then, the comparison of your petty 
grievances with the gigantic ones overcome by the energy and perseverance 
of our forefathers, when, miles separated neighbors and friends, when the 
war-whoop of the merciless Indian blended of an evening with the dreary 
howl of the wolf, and when, if a father left his home in the morning he 
knew not but his return at night might find it a smoldering ruin, and his 
wife and children mangled corpses or in a cruel captivity ; if this compar- 
ison shall inspire you with new courage to contend in the w world's great 
din of battle," — pleased shall I be to record you upon my list of friends, 
and feel thankful for the time spent in placing the narration before you, 

I make no apology for the simplicity of language tbat clothes the inci- 
dents narrated. I am aware that many will think themselves better 
informed in matters of early history, and perhaps far better able to dispose 
of the task of preparing them for publication, than myself. But until they 
avail themselves of their knowledge and talents, and do better, I shall pre- 
sent my humble wock for your consideration, hoping it may find what 
appreciation its merit deserves. 

THE AUTHOR. 

Slate Hill, N. Y., 1867. 



n 



CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER I.— Origin of the name, and first recorded visit of a white man. 

CHAPTER II.— First settlement of Orange County and Minisink. _ 

CHAPTER III.— Church affairs. 

CHAPTER IV.— The war with the Jerseynien. 

CHAPTER V.— Incidents of the French and Indian wars. 

CHAPTER VI.— The Pledge of 1775 and its signers. 

CHAPTER VII.— Indian depredations. 

CHAPTER VIII.— First and second invasions of" the Minisink Region by 

Brandt's Indians and Tories. 
CHAPTER IX.— The battle of Minisink. 
CHAPTER X.— Town of Minisink. 
CHAPTER XI.— Town of Deerpark. 
CHAPTER XII.— Town of Mount Hope. 
CHAPTER XIII.— Towns of Wawayanda and Greenville. 
CHAPTER XIV.— Greycourt Inn ; or, the Scourge of the Highlands. 
CHAPTER XV.— The Legend of Murderer's Creek. 
CHAPTER XVI.— A Reminiscence of the Wallkill. 



A HISTORY OF THE MINISINK REGION. 



THAPTER 1. 

ORIGIN OF THE NAME. AND FIRST RECORDED VISIT OF A 

WHITE MAN. 

To arrive at a proper commencing point in the history 
of the localities included in the limits of the region for- 
merly known as the Minisink, it will be necessary to look 
hack to the time when the hard-headed Peter Stuyvesant 
bore rule over his mimic kingdom of the New Nether- 
lands, and sat in rigid state among the few rude habita- 
tions lying in peaceful serenity at the mouth of the 
Hudson — since grown in countless numbers and regal 
splendor, as the proud city of New York ; to the time 
when John Rising. Governor of the Colony of Swedes 
at the mouth of the Delaware, was taking upon himself 
a degree of importance that interfered sadly with the 
plans of the worthy Peter, and threatened to shipwreck 
his fondest hopes of conquest in that quarter. His 
windy manifesto, full of big Dutch words long drawn 
out by his valiant secretary, declaring the aforesaid 
Colonv of New Sweden to be within the limits of his 



12 HISTORY OF THE MINISINK REGION, 

majesty's dominions, and threatening the direst ven- 
geance upon all who refused to acknowledge the same, 
was received in scornful silence by the imperturbable 
John. The insult, of itself, was bad enough, but that 
so much good Dutch grammar should be absolutely 
thrown away, was not to be tolerated. Days were spent 
by Peter in determining a plan of revenge that would 
at once avenge the slight, and maintain his dignity; and 
at last the tobacco used in these deliberations resolved 
itself into something more than ephemeral smoke, for it 
brought an idea into the head of its august user. Other 
men had covered themselves with unfading laurels on 
the battle-field, why should not he ? 

The consent of the mother country was first to be 
obtained, for the commencement of a quarrel between 
even so insignificant belligerents as these, might result 
in serious complications in the home countries of Europe. 
The old maps of the New Netherland provinces, made 
years before by Captain Hendrickson, were brought 
before the Government of Holland by Peter ; the right 
of Holland to the territory called New Sweden thereby 
made clear, and Peter's request was granted ; and he has 
been handed down to posterity by the great historian 
as the immortal conqueror of Fort Christina and the 
Swedes. It is upon the maps thus made use of by 
Peter, that the first allusion is made in history to the 
old territory of Minisink. The whole of that territory 
is there described as being occupied by a tribe of Indi- 
ans known as the Minquas, (Yol. I. Documents relating 
to the History of New York,) and this we may properly 
regard as the original word from which the name Mini- 
sink was derived. At all events, this was the name by 
which the Indians were known throughout that region, 
till at last the Swedes and the Hollanders, with their 



ORIGIN OF NAME, and first recorded visit. 13 

resolute chieftains, all fell into subjection to the mighty 
power of England, in 1664. Then everything under- 
went an entire change. The little Dutch village of 
New Amsterdam or Manhattan, that had been growing so 
quietly amid its cabbage gardens, and so unobserved in 
the shadow of the smoke that arose from the pipes of its 
steady burghers, was at once given a more sounding title, 
in honor of the Duke of York, and of York in England, 
and came out with a grand flourish as the City of New 
York. The little stockaded fort, and its surroundings of 
steep-roofed houses with their "gable ends" to the street, 
that had long been regarded as one of the outposts on 
the limits of creation, up the Hudson, soon came to be 
known as Albany, instead of Orange — and what is more 
to the purpose, the tribe of Indians, spoken of, became 
known as the Minsies instead of the Minquas. 

This is the name they were first known by in Eager's 
History of Orange County, and he says it signified: peo- 
ple living on a low tract of land, from which the water 
had been drained — alluding to the legendary belief that 
the valley along the Delaware, occupied by them, had' 
once formed the bottom of a vast lake, from which the 
water finally escaped by breaking through the moun- 
tains, at a place now known as the Water-Gap, in the 
Delaware. This, most probably, was the original mean- 
ing and derivation of the word Minisink; for it is easy 
to trace the connection from the old Dutch name of the 
Minquas, to its English translation the Minsies, and 
finally to its later and last corruption of the Indian 
tongue, Minisink. It was known by this latter name as 
early as 1694, as we find from a journal kept by Captain 
Arent Schuyler, of a visit made by him to that region ; 
and as this is the first visit of a white man to that sec- 
tion, recorded in authentic history, I have thought 



14 HISTORY OF THE MINISINR REGION, 

proper to give it entire, word for word, as it was most 
probably written and spelled by the valiant Captain 
himself, and as it may be found on p. 98, Vol. IV. of 
Documents relating to the History of New York. Gov. 
Fletcher, at the time, lorded it over the province by 
authority of the Crown of England, and this journey 
appears to have been taken at his command, for the pur- 
pose of ascertaining whether or no the French, who then 
occupied Canada, and were continually warring with 
the English, had not sent emissaries among the Minisink 
Indians to bribe them to unite with the Canadian Indi- 
ans to wage a war of extermination against the New 
Yorkers, which they would be most capable of doing 
from among their impenetrable fastnesses in the Shaw- 
angunk Mountains. 

JOURNAL OF CAPTAIN ARENT SCHUYLER^ VISIT TO THE 
MINISINK COUNTRY. 

May it please your Exeelh. 

In persuance to y' Excell: commands 1 have been 
in the Minissinck Country of which I have kept the fol- 
lowing journal: viz 1 

1694 y e 3 d of Feb: [ departed from New Yorke for 
East New Jersey and came that night att Bergen town 
where I hired two men and a guide. 

y e ^th g 1UK i a y Morning. I went from Bergen & 
travilled about ten English miles beyond Haghkingsack 
to an Indian place called Peckwes. 

Y e 5 th Monday. From Peckwes North and be West 
I went about thirty two miles, snowing and rainy 
weather. 

Y e 6t th Tuesday. 1 continued my journey to Mag- 
gaghkamieck [the Indian name of the river Neversink, 
which falls into the Delaware a little south of Port 



ORIGIN OF NAME, AND FIRST RECORDED VISIT. 15 

Jervis] and from thence to within half a day's journey 
to the Menissinck. 

Y e 7 th Wendsday. About eleaven a clock I arrived 
att the Minissinck, and there I mett with two of their 
Sachems and severall other Indians of whome I enquired 
after some news, if the French or their Indians had sent 
for them or been in y e . Menissinck Country. Upon 
w eh they answered that noe French nor any of the 
French Indians were nor had been in the Menissinck 
Country nor there abouts and did promise y* if y e French 
.should happen to come or y* they heard of it that they 
will forthwith send a mesinger and give y 1 Excellency 
notice thereof. 

Inquireing further after news they told me that six 
days agoe three Christians and two Shanwans Indians 
who went about fifteen months agoe with Arnout Vielle 
into the Shanwans Country were passed by the Menis- 
sinck going for Albany to fetch powder for Arnout and 
his company; and further told them that s rt Arnout 
intended to be there w th seaven hundred of y e said 
Shanwans Indians loaden w tb beavor and peltries att 
y" time y 6 Indian corn is about one foot high (which 
may be in the month of June J 

The Menissinck Sachems further s' 1 that one of their 
Sachems & other of their Indians were gone to fetch 
beavor & peltries which they had hunted; and having 
heard no news of them are afraid y* y e Sinneques have 
killed them for y e lucar of the beavor or because y e 
Menissinck Indians have not been with y e Sinneques as 
usual to pay their Dutty, and therefore desier y* your 
Excellency will be pleased to order y* the Sinneques 
may be told, not to molest or hurt y f Menissincks they 
be willing to continue in amity with them. 

IB the afternoon I departed from y e Menissincks; the 



16 HISTORY OF THE MINISINK REGION. 

8 th , 9 th & 10 th of Feb. I travilled and came att Bergen in 
y e morning and about noone arrived att New Yorke. 

This is may it please your Excell. the humble reporte 
of your Excellency's most humble serv 1 

Arent Schuyler. 

Scarce one hundred and seventy-two years have passed 
since the above journey was taken, and the comparison 
between then and now may be taken as a fair index to 
the rapid improvement that has everywhere been 
striding over the American Continent. Then the jour- 
ney occupied eight days — four in going and four in 
returning — and was accomplished by untiring perse- 
verance, amid the gloomy depths of an interminable 
forest, peopled only by the wild men of nature, and the 
panthers, bears, wolves, and other beasts that then 
prowled in its recesses ; the trackless path pointed out 
by an Indian guide, and its winding way followed over 
mountains and across valleys, one continual swamp and 
woodland, through the bitter cold and wet of a storm of 
rain and snow. Now, the same journey from New York 
to Port Jervis may be accomplished in the short space 
of about three hours and a half, by simply stepping in 
one of the elegant cars of the New York and Erie Rail- 
way, and sitting down in one of the velvet-cushioned 
seats — taking no note of the blinding snow or driving 
rain that may be falling out of doors, and with nothing 
to do but lean back on the cushions and enjoy the rock- 
ing motion as you glide along- — glance out of the cozy 
little windows at the snug farm-houses and cultivated 
fields, as they flit before your vision — no guide — no 
nothing to think o£, but to be ready with your paste- 
board when the conductor thrusts his hand before your 
eyes and drives away your dreamy reveries with the 
oft repeated cry o£-~" Tickets !" 



ORIGIN OF NAME. AND FIRST RECORDED VISIT. \1 

If it be indeed true that the shades of those gone 
before sometimes revisit earth, what emotions of surprise 
and pleasure must we conjecture to fill the bosom of that 
sturdy old backwoodsman, Arent Schuyler, if his spirit 
should come back from the confines of the invisible 
world and repeat his journey to Port Jervis — then a 
desolate swamp, now a flourishing village — by riding on 
the cars, in these days of luxury and speed. 0, that he 
could speak to us, we would find our wildest imaginings 
to fall short of the tide of wonder and delight that 
would overflow his soul ! 



CHAPTER II. 

FIRST SETTLEMENT OF ORANGE COUNTY AND MINISINK. 

The early settlement of this region is shrouded in 
mystery. The surrounding mountains appear to have 
served as barriers to the encroachment of the whites, 
and after they had effected a lodging to have prevented 
a knowledge of their early transactions from coming to 
the ears of the historians of those times, until almost a 
generation of the first Minisink pioneers had passed 
away. Lord Bellomont, Governor of New York in 1701, 
says, in a letter to the lords of trade, that the country 
west of the Highlands, at that time, was a dense wilder- 
ness, there being but one house in all that section — on 
Captain Evan's grant, which was along the Hudson. 
This was the first house built within the present limits 
of the eastern part of Orange County, and as such, it i* 
but just to glance a moment at the history of the builder. 
It was built some years before Bellomont's notice of it. 
by Col. Patrick Magregorie, a Scotchman, who came to 
America with a band of followers in 1684. They landed 
in Maryland, but like the majority of the early emigrants, 
were continually roving around in quest of a better loca- 
tion. Magregorie was next located at Perth Amboy. 
New Jersey; but this was no better suited to his taste. 
and, in 1685, he petitioned for leave to take up land 
within the bounds of Billop's Point, on 3taten Island. 



FIRST SETTLEMENT. 19 

At the instance, it is said, of Governor Dongan, he was 
persuaded to relinquish that design and remove to the 
Highlands. While here he devoted himself to the 
Indian trade, and became master of the Indian language. 
The following year, 1686, he was appointed Muster 
Master General of the Militia of the Province of New 
York, and was next sent in command of a party to trade 
at Michilmakinac, but was intercepted on the way by a 
party in the French interest, and carried a prisoner to 
Montreal. The next year he was liberated by orders 
from France, and returned to New York. The next 
year, 1688, he was employed by Sir Edmund Andros, 
and commanded a company that operated against the 
Indians east of Pemaquid. When the troubles broke 
out between the Government and the Leisler party, he 
was sent to New York city; where he was killed, during 
the attempt to reduce a fort held by the Leisler party. 
March, 1691. He was buried with public honors, and 
this appears to have been the most he ever received 
for his great public services, for we find the lands he 
laid claim to, along the Hudson, were subsequently 
granted to Capt. John Evans, who married his daughter 
Katherine. The patent was afterward vacated, and his 
heirs experienced a long series of difficulties in getting 
their claim adjusted. Their patent was finally settled 
in the town of Cornwall, Orange County. He had three 
sons, Hugh, John and Patrick, and two daughters. 
Katherine and Jane. 

What was known of Orange County, at that time, 
embraced the present County of Rockland, and was 
bounded on the North by Ulster County, which extended . 
along the western slope of the Shawangunk mountains 
to the Delaware, and included the present town of Deer- 
park, then a part of the town of Mamakating. Accord- 



20 HiSTORY OF THE MINISINK REGION. 

ing to Eager's History, Orange County was organized 
by act of General Assembly in 1683. In a list of officers, 
dated April 20th, 1693, it is stated that the County con- 
tained not over twenty families, and was under the pro- 
tection of New York city (p. 28, vol. iv. Doc. relating 
to the Colonial History of New York). It was named 
after William, Prince of Orange, who was crowned King 
of England, in 1689. Like all the unoccupied territory 
in those days, it was parceled out in immense tracts to 
favorites of the different Governors of the Province; 
and, as this was done by authority of Letters Patent 
from the Crown, so these tracts were called Patents. 
Thus it w r as we came to hear of the Wawayancla Patent, 
which included 150,000 acres, and was conveyed March 
5th, 1703, during the reign of Queen Anne, to John 
Bridges, and twelve others, by the twelve Indian chiefs 
Rapingonick, Wawastawaw, Moghopuck, Comelawaw, 
Nanawitt, Ariwimack, Kumbout, Claus, Chouckhass, 
Chingapaw, Oshasquemonus, and Quiliapaw, — and the 
Minisink Patent made by the same Indian chiefs. The 
Governor's approval was doubtless first secured, and 
then the Indians were induced to place their marks to 
the documents, perhaps, by means of a little rum and 
tobacco; at all events, for a mere trifle, and thus a 
favored few became owners of thousands of acres of the 
most fertile land in the world — to-day worth millions 
upon millions of dollars. In this connection it is well 
enough to revert to the fact that, two hundred and forty 
years ago, the whole of the territory now occupied by 
the city of New York, was purchased of the Indians by 
the Dutch for twenty-four dollars; as is stated in the 
following letter, dated Nov. 5th, 1626 (vol. i. Doc. rela- 
ting to the Colonial History of New York, p. 37): 



FIRST SETTLEMENT. 21 

• ; High and Mighty Lord: 

"Yesterday arrived here the Ship of Arms, of Amster- 
dam, which sailed from New Netherland out of the River 
Mauritius (Hudson), on the 23d September. They 
report that our people are in good heart and live in peace 
there; the women have also borne some children there. 
They have purchased the Island Manhattes from the 
Indians for the value of 60 guilders ($24); 'tis 11,000 
morgens in size. They had all their grain sowed by the 
middle of May, and reaped by the middle of August. 
They send thence samples of summer grain: such as 
wheat, rye, barley, oats, buckwheat, canary seed, beans 
and flax. The cargo of the aforesaid ship is: 7246 
Beaver skins, 178J Otter skins, 675 Otter skins, 48 Mink 
skins, 36 wild cat skins, 33 Minks, 34 Rat skins and a 
considerable Oak timber and Hickory. Herewith High 
and Mighty Lords, be commended to the mercy of the 
Almighty. 

;i To the High and Mighty Lords, my Lords the States 
General at the Hague. 
" Signed Your High Mightiness' obedient, 

" P. SCHAGAN. 

"Amsterdam. Nov. 5, 1626." 

Imagine, if possible, the present value of that same 
Island of Manhattan, with its population of hundreds of 
thousands and its untold movable wealth. 

In 1698, by order of Governor Bellomont, a census of 
the several counties of New York was taken by the 
Sheriffs and Justices of the Peace, (p. 420, vol. iv., Doc. 
relating to the Colonial History of New York,) and 
Orange County was found to contain 29 men, 31 women, 
140 children, and 19 negroes or slaves. The present 



22 HISTORY OF THE MINISINK REGION. 

site of the village of Newburgh was included in a patent 
of 2190 acres, granted to nine Palatines, or Germans, in 
1719, viz.: George Lockstead, Michael Weigand, Her- 
man Shoreman, Christian Hennicke, the widow Cockertal, 
Burgher Mynders, Jacob Webber, Johannes Fisher, and 
Andries Valch. A settlement had been commenced 
some time before, (about 1712,) by a young lady named 
Sarah Wells, on the Wawayanda Patent, near the banks 
of the Otterkill. She was an orphan adopted by Chris- 
topher Denn, one of the patentees, who lived at that 
time in New Jersey, opposite Staten Island. It became 
necessary, in order to fix the title to the patent, that 
some settlement should be made upon it ; and thus it 
was, by aiding to secure the interest of Denn in the tract, 
that she has been chronicled in history as the first white 
person who commenced a settlement on the tract. At 
the request of her benefactor, she traveled in a boat 
from New York to the neighborhood of New Windsor, 
and from thence on foot to the Otterkill, to superintend 
the erection of a wigwam, or house, with no companions 
but a few friendly Indian guides. To more enhance our 
admiration of her fearless intrepidity, it is but proper to 
state that she was but sixteen years of age at the time. 
Think of that journey, ye timid votaries of luxury, who, 
even in the midst of friends and neighbors, tremble at 
the bare thought of venturing alone out of doors after 
nightfall ! Think of the repose she sought at night 
upon the ground, the glimmering stars sparkling through 
the foliage of the great forest, the dismal howl of the 
wolf echoing fearfully through the glades, and the hoot 
of the lonely owl varying the concord of heart-chilling 
sounds; and this, too, forty or fifty miles from the pres- 
ence of a white person, with no protectors but her savage 
friends. She afterwards married William Bull, settled 



FIKST SETTLEMENT. 23 

on a tract of about one hundred acres, which was set 
off to her by Denn as a recompense for her services 
in making the settlement; and, after a long life of useful- 
ness, died aged 102 years 15 days. Her descendants, a 
short time since, started the project of erecting a suita- 
ble monument over her remains, which lie buried in the 
family yard in Hamptonburgh. (Eager's History of 
Orange County, p. 454.). 

The Ordinance for holding Courts ot Sessions and 
Pleas in Orange County, was granted March 8th, 1702. 
at Fort Anne, by Edward Viscount Combury. William 
Smith, Peter Schuyler and Sa. Th. Boughton. Esqs., of 
Council, and ratified and signed by Queen Anne, April 
5th, 1703. The first courts were held at Orangetown. 
in what is now Rockland county. The first Session in 
Goshen was held in 1727, (lb. p. 17.) • 

But while the population of Orange county was thus 
rapidly increasing, and new villages springing up almost 
weekly within its limits, the history of the Minisink 
region appears to have been shrouded in darkness. The 
Shawangumk mountains formed a barrier which for a long 
time, kept from the outside world a view of the tide of 
civilization and improvement that was going on, and 
shut from the page of history much knowledge of the 
early settlers of that locality. Its mountain ranges 
afforded a shelter to the Indians long after the cultivated 
fields and happy homes of the white man had usurped 
the wilds of Eastern Orange. Among its glades and 
gorges, the smoke of their wigwams and the glimmer of 
their council fires, continued to rise in security and 
friendly intercouse with the early Minisink pioneers, 
years after the sun of their supremacy had set from 
Maine to the Carolinas. It was in this region, too, that 
some of their most barbarous atrocities were committed, 



24 HISTORY OP THE MINISINK REGION. 

before yielding up the possession of their mountain 
fastnesses. 

In 1756, we are informed, that in the winter and spring 
large and small parties of western Indians made frequent 
incursions into its territory, destroying a vast amount of 
property, and taking many lives. At the commence- 
ment of this war (the old French and Indian war in 1755) 
it was reported to possess a population of about thirty 
families, and included a tract of about forty miles up and 
down the Delaware and Neversink rivers. Indeed, there 
are good reasons for dating the settlement of this region 
previous to the year 1664. In 1697 a Patent was granted 
to Arent Schuyler for lands described as follows: 

" A certain tract of land in the Minisink country, in 
the province of New York, called by the native Indians 
Warensaghskennick, otherwise called Maghawaemus; 
also a certain parcel of meadow, or vly, called by the 
Indians Warensaghskennick, situate, lying and being 
upon a certain run, called by the Indians, and known by 
the name of Minisink, before a certain Island called 
Menayack, which is adjacent to or near to a certain tract 
of land called by the Indians Maghakeneck, containing 
the quantity of one thousand acres and no more.'' 

This, as will be seen, gave the holder authority to 
locate on any unappropriated land in the valley, for it 
describes in such general terms as to puzzle almost any 
one to fix its limits. Another of these floating patents 
was granted the same year to Jacob Codebeck, Thomas 
Swartout, Anthony Swartout, Bernardus Swartont, Jan 
Tys, Peter Germar and David Jamison. This was loca- 
ted in what was called Peenpack. Many of the descend- 
ants of these patents are still living in that locality, 
Codebeck now being known as Cuddeback, and Germar 
as Gunaaer, Some of the settlers on these patents were 



FIRST SETTLEMENT. 25 

Huguenots, or Frenchmen, who had voluntarily exiled 
themselves from France on account of their religious 
opinions being in conflict with the ruling powers. This 
is the origin of that name as applied to a small village a 
short distance north of Port Jervis at the present day. 
The following letter chronicles the second recorded 
visit of a white man to this territory; and as it is valu- 
able on account of the knowledge it imparts in regard 
to this history, I have copied it entire from page 49 of 
Eager's History of Orange County: 

(Copy of letters from Samuel Preston, Esq., dated Stockport, June 6th 

and 14th, 1828.) 

MINISINK, MINEHOLES, &C. 

" In 1787 the writer went on his first surveying tour 
into Northampton County; he was deputed under John 
Lukens, Surveyor General, and received from him, by 
way of instructions, the following narrative respecting 
the settlement of Minisink on the Delaware, above the 
Kittany and Blue Mountain: That the settlement was 
formed for a long time before it was known to the Gov- 
ernment at Philadelphia. That when the Government 
was informed of the settlement, they passed a law in 
1729, that any such purchases of fche Indians should be 
null and void; and the purchasers indicted for forcible 
entry and detainer, according to the law of England. 
That in 1730 they appointed an agent to go and inves- 
tigate the facts; that the agent so appointed was the 
famous surveyor, Nicholas Scull; that he, James Lukens, 
was Nicholas Scull's apprentice to carry chain and learn 
surveying. That as they both understood and could 
talk Indian they hired Indian guides, and had a fatiguing 
journey, there being then no white inhabitants in the 
upper part of Bucks or Northampton Counties, That 



26 HISTORY OF THE MINISINK REGION. 

they had very great difficulty to lead their horses 
through the water gap to Minisink flats, which were 
all settled with Hollanders; with several they could 
only be understood in Indian. At the venerable 
Depuis' they found great hospitality and plenty of the 
necessaries of life. J. Lukens said that the first thing 
that struck his attention was a grove of apple trees of 
size far beyond any near Philadelphia, That as Nicholas 
Scull and himself examined the banks, they were fully of 
opinion that all those flats had at some former age been 
a deep lake before the river broke through the moun- 
tain, and that the best interpretation they could make 
of Minisink, was, the ivater is gone. That S. 'Depuis told 
them when the rivers were frozen - he had a good road 
to Esopus, near Kingston, from the Mineholes, on the 
Mine road, some hundred miles. That he took his wheat 
and cider there for salt and necessaries, and did not ap- 
pear to have any knowledge or idea where the river 
ran (Philadelphia market) or of being in the government 
of Pennsylvania. 

"They were of opinion that the first settlements of 
Hollanders in Minisink were many years older than 
William Penn's charter, and that S. Depuis had treated 
them so well, they concluded to make a survey of his 
claim, in order to befriend him if necessary. When 
they began to survey, the Indians gathered around; an 
old Indian laid his hand on Nicholas Scull's shoulder 
and said: ' Put up iron string, go home.' They then quit 
and returned. 

" I had it in charge from John Lukens to learn more 
particulars respecting the Mine road to Esopus, &c. I 
found Nicholas Depuis, Esq., son of Samuel, living in a 
spacious stone house in great plenty and affluence. 
The old Mineholes were a few miles above, on the Jersey 



FIRST SETTLEMENT. 27 

side of the river by the lower point of Paaquarry Flat; 
that the Minisink settlement extended forty miles or 
more on both sides of the river. That he had well 
known the Mine road to Esopus, and used, before he 
opened the boat channel through Foul Rift, to drive on 
it several times every winter with loads of wheat and 
cider, as also did his neighbors, to purchase his salt and 
necessaries, in Esopns, having then no other market or 
knowledge where the river ran to. That after a navi- 
gable channel was opened through Foul Rift they gen- 
erally took to boating, and most of the settlement turned 
their trade down stream, the Mine road became less and 
less traveled. 

" This interview with the amiable Nicholas Depuis, 
was in June, 1787. He then appeared about sixty years 
of age. I interrogated as to the particulars of what he 
knew, as to when and by whom the Mine road was 
made, what was the ore they dug and hauled on it, what 
was the date, and from whence or how, came the first 
settlers of Minisink in such great numbers as to take up 
all the flats on both sides of the river for forty miles. 
He could only give traditionary accounts of what he had 
heard from older people, without date, in substance as 
follows: 

" That in some former age there came a company of 
miners from Holland; supposed, from the great labor 
expended in making that road, about one hundred miles, 
that they were very rich or great people, in working 
the two mines — one on the Delaware, where the moun- 
tain nearly approaches the lower point of Paaquarry 
Flat — the other at the north foot of the same mountain, 
near half way from the Delaware and Esopus. He ever 
understood that abundance of ore had been hauled on 
that road, but never could learn whether lead or silver. 



28 HISTORY OF THE MINISINK REGION. 

That the first settlers came from Holland to seek a place 
of quiet, being persecuted for their religion. I believe 
they were Armenians. They followed the Mine road to 
the large flats on the Delaware. That smooth, cleared 
land suited their views. That they bona fide bought 
the improvements of the native Indians, most of whom 
then moved to the Susquehanna; that with such as 
remained, there was peace till 1755. I then went to 
view the Paaquarry Mineholes. There appeared to have 
been a great abundance of labor done there at some 
former time, but the mouths of these holes were caved 
full, and overgrown with bushes. I concluded to myself 
if there ever was a rich mine under that mountain, it 
must be there yet, in close confinement. The other old 
men I conversed with, gave their traditions similar to 
Nicholas Depuis, and they all appeared to be grandsons 
of the first settlers, and very ignorant as to the dates, 
and things relating to chronology. In the summer of 
1789 I began to build on this place; then came two ven- 
erable gentlemen on a surveying expedition. They 
were the late Gen. James Clinton, the father of the late 
DeWitt Clinton, and Christopher Tappan, Esq., Clerk 
and Recorder of Ulster Count3 r . For many years before 
they had both been surveyors under Gen. Clinton's 
father, when he was Surveyor-General. In order to 
learn some history from gentlemen of their general 
knowledge, I accompanied them in the woods. They 
both well knew the Mineholes, Mine road, <fcc, and as 
there were no kind of documents or records thereof, 
united in the opinion that it was a work transacted 
while the State of New York belonged to the govern- 
ment of Holland; that it fell to the English in 1664; 
and that the change of government stopped the mining 
business, and that the road must have been made many 



mST SETTLEMENT, $fi 

years before such digging could have been done. That 
it undoubtedly mitst have been the first good road of 
that extent made in any part of the United States." 

The settlement principally spoken of by the above 
writer, was on the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware 
river, and visited from Philadelphia; but applies to the 
whole Minisink region. It discloses to our view a per- 
fect miniature world — peopled by a happy, contented 
race of Europeans ; who for generations had lived in 
harmony among themselves, and in peace with their 
savage neighbors. Here generations lived the fleeting 
span of life in blissful ignorance of any outer or happier 
world beside, and were alike unknown outside the boun- 
daries of their own domain, until some wanderer chanced 
to come across their settlement, and went on his way, 
thereafter to remember, with gratitude and envy, the 
affluence and comfort that marked their rough but 
happy homes. No fashions from abroad intruded upon 
their attire, or simple hospitality — their customs were 
their own — their visits made among familiar friends — 
their parties and soirees given in true Minisink state, 
and no doubt better enjoyed by the homespun-clad 
young folks of that time, than many a skim-milk gather- 
ing of the present day. Here they were born and 
reared, from infancy to mature years: married the part- 
ners of their choice; 

" Lived where their fathers lived, 
And died where they died: 
Lived happy — died happy," 

and perhaps have gone to a happy home above. 

Plenty of mineral resources were within their reach, 
but they seem to have wisely left such pursuits to later 
and more speculative times. Whether those early 
mines produced lead or silver, is not known; but we are 



of opinion that it may have been silver, for the following 
reasons: First, the great length of road (one hundred 
iniles) would have rendered next to impossible the cart- 
ing of such a bulky substance as lead, in any great quan- 
tity, or at least in sufficient quantities to have paid 
expenses — let alone liquidating the cost of constructing 
such a road as this was represented to be, and in places 
still is, through a wilderness. Second, all the old tradi- 
tions of those times confirm the belief that silver ore 
exists in Shawangunk Mountain, and that at early 
periods, mines of it were known and worked by the 
Indians and first settlers, that have since been concealed 
and forgotten. We once heard an old gentleman describe 
one of these mines that must have been located near 
one of those spoken of by the writer of the preceding- 
letter. It was made known to his father, and a neigh- 
bor, by one of the friendly Indians previous to their 
removal west in the old Indian war. The two observed 
great secrecy in working it, and frequently made long 
and mysterious journeys to dispose of their ore at dis- 
tant places. At last the Revolutionary war broke out, 
and they both determined to serve their country. Be- 
fore departing, they solemnly pledged themselves not 
to reveal the secret until the war was ended; and the 
better to carry out their plans, they went, one cold, dark 
night, and drew a large flat stone over the mouth of the 
mine, carefully obliterated all traces of their work, and 
ended by strewing leaves over the whole, until they 
themselves could hardly detect its whereabouts. About 
thirty paces directly east, -they marked three trees that 
stood close together, in order to guide them, should 
either live to again desire to find it. One of them never 
returned; the other again sought his home after an 
absence of near nine years. Meanwhile the tide of 



FIBS! bHTLfflfSfflPi 31 

war had visited his old neighborhood in the shape of 
predatory bands of Indians, and he found his family in 
a distant village where they had fled for protection — 
his house, and that of his neighbors, having been 
destroyed by their foes. A year or- so was occupied in 
again getting around them the comforts of a home, and 
when he again sought the mine, the timber had been 
so destroyed by the fire and ruthless vandalism, that no 
trace of the marked trees could be found. Days and 
weeks were spent in the search, but in vain. He then 
gave the information to others, but no one has ever yet- 
removed the flat stone from the mouth of the silver 
mine. 

Another old gentleman, while we were staying in 
Wurtsboro' one evening, gave us a somewhat flowery 
account of a silver mine, which we will notice. The 
settlers in that vicinity had long noticed that the Indians 
had plenty of silver in a crude state, but could get no 
trace of the mine. Just before they left the country, 
our narrator's father, then a youth of twelve or thirteen 
years of age, persuaded an old Indian chief, with whom 
he was a great favorite, to take him to it. He was 
blindfolded, and led a long way through the woods, with 
many twists and turns, till at last they commenced going- 
down into the heart of the mountain, and he could dis- 
tinctly hear water trickling overhead. When his eyes 
were uncovered he stood before a solid vein of silver. 
Picking up a number of large pieces, his conductor 
forced him to return in the same manner as he entered; 
and though afterwards lie searched for it, over every 
toot of ground near its supposed vicinity, he couldnever 
find it. ,: Every seven years," quoth our friend, " a 
bright light, like a candle, rises at twelve o'clock at 
night, above the mine, and disappears in the clouds. 



32 HISTORY OF THE MINISINR KEGlOSh 

But no one that has seen it, has ever been able, in day- 
light, to find from whence it rose." 



CHAPTER III. 

CHURCH AFFAIRS. 

Like all the rest of the human family, the inhabitants 
of Minisink naturally felt a little anxious as to where 
their final lot would be cast in the world of spirits; for 
tradition had handed down to them the lessons of their 
forefathers in their own fatherland, and many an old 
bible and hymn book that had, perhaps, spoken sharply 
to the consciences of their ancestors on the banks of the 
Zuyder Zee, in Holland, or by the side of the Seine, in 
sunny France — done duty throtigh long nights of fearful 
peril on the bosom of the stormy Atlantic, and consoled 
the minds of sinners miserably sea-sick during the first 
weeks of the months that then were required to place 
them from the old continent on the new — even yet 
spoke in trumpet-tones to the evil-doers by the banks of 
the Delaware and Neversink. Though the leaves were 
perhaps worn and soiled, and it may be somewhat torn, 
the old bible still spoke to them in a voice that was as 
stern and as strong as when of yore it reproved the sins 
of their grandfathers and grandmothers. It pointed 
just as unerringly to the lake prepared of fire and brim- 
stone for those that turned aside from the path of recti- 
tude. Its warnings were not to be disregarded — for 
2* 



34 HISTORY OP THE MINISINK REGION. 

though apparently a community outside the pale of the 
civilized world, they knew that the eye of Divine Prov- 
idence was just as watchful of the affairs of the few 
settlers on the Minisink flats, as of those of Amsterdam 
or Paris. At first neighbors talked of it when they met, 
and their good dames discussed it of evenings while 
enjo}dng a sociable visit. Then it became talked of 
generally; and finally a meeting of the veteran settlers 
was called, and it was determined to have preaching 
and psalm-singing, such as their fathers and mothers told 
them they had often listened to of a Sabbath, 'neath the 
roof of a church in their own native land. Every one 
contributed to the good work, — the old men and women 
because they felt it their duty, — the young men and 
women because they liked some place to repair to on 
the Sabbath, where they could unite their voices in 
hymns of praise, and perchance find opportunities of 
speaking a word or two with each other on the sly; for 
the young people of that day probably possessed the 
same feelings as those of to-day, though far less burdened 
with fashionable hypocrisy. It was agreed that the 
community was large enough for four congregations, and 
accordingly it was so divided. The means was collected, 
and the construction of the four churches was probably 
commenced in 1736. A young man among them, John 
Casparus Fryenmuth, who had been studying with the 
intention of becoming a minister, was furnished with 
funds to go to Holland, where he completed his studies 
and was ordained. He returned and became pastor of 
the four congregations in the year 1742. The first 
church was called the Mackhackemeck Church; and was 
located about a half mile south of where Port Jervis 
now stands, and about half a mile from the junction of 
the Neversink and Delaware, in a north-easterly direc- 



CHURCH AFFAIRS. 35 

tion, and near the residence of Mr. Eli Van Inwegen, by 
the old burying-ground. The second stood about eight 
miles south-west from the Mackhackemeck, in the present 
township of Montague, or Sandiston, N. J., at the cross- 
ing of the turnpike and highway, near the site of a store 
kept for some years by one Judge Stull, and was called 
the Minisink Church. It was torn down many years 
ago, and a new one erected about one mile from its first 
location, due north. The third stood sixteen miles 
farther on in New Jersey, and was called the Walpeck 
Church. It has long been torn down. The fourth was 
eight or ten miles distant from the Walpeck, and was 
called the Smithfield Church. Before having a regular 
minister, at their meetings the best reader was selected, 
and a chapter or two read from the Bible, a prayer or so 
was made by different members, and some psalm-singing 
commonly completed the services. The hour of worship 
was announced by the blowing of a large tin horn, kept 
for the purpose, which practice was adhered to until 
bells came in use. 

Mackhackemeck Church was the only one of the four 
that stood within the present limits of Orange county; 
and as such, its history is important, being probably 
the oldest. It is of the Dutch Reformed persuasion. 
that being the almost universal belief at the time of its 
erection. This event was brought to a completion in 
1737 judging from the fact that it was formally recog- 
nized, and had regular ecclesiastical officers in that year. 
as shown by the records of baptisms, &c, that are still 
in good preservation. These records were kept in the 
Low Dutch language until recently, and are continuous 
from that year to the present. The building of the 
church took place near a century from the date of the 
supposed first settlement of the Minisink region. John 



36 HISTORY OF THE MINISINK REGION. 

Casparus Fryenmuth, the first minister, officiated for the 
four churches mentioned (as his successors did also for 
many years,) from 1742, the date of his return from Hol- 
land, till 1755; when the French and Indian war com- 
menced, and predatory bands began to plunder and 
devastate the settlement, which rendered it unsafe to 
continue the services. He was a good scholar, and 
a beautiful penman ; the records kept by him being 
splendid specimens of writing, and his name, as signed 
to them by himself, one hundred and twenty-four years 
ago, can still be seen, in a bold round hand that few 
persons can equal at the present day, with all the im- 
provement of knowledge and science. The first capital 
letter of his signature was always made in the form of 
a monogram (a figure combining in one the initials of 
the name). He was very much respected and popular, 
if we may believe the traditions of the times. Of the 
esteem felt for him by his parishioners, one incident has 
been handed down to us, and we believe it is the only 
one preserved of his ministry. He had been in the 
habit of dividing the time of his vacation, a short period 
of a few Sabbaths allowed the minister yearly for rest, 
(as we understand from Rev. S. W. Mills, the present 
pastor, to whom our thanks are due for many of these 
particulars,) among the churches in the vicinity of 
Rochester, Ulster county. They became desirous of 
securing his services for themselves, and accordingly set 
themselves about raising a salary for him by subscrip- 
tion, previous to giving him a call. This the Minisink 
people heard of, and the way they talked to the Rochester 
people, is best shown in the following letter preserved 
among the church records in the original Dutch, of which 
this is a translated copy: 



CHURCH AFFAIRS. 37 

" Minisink, Dec. 6th, 1741. 
" To the Rev. Consistory of Rochester, greeting: 

" We, your servants, having learned that you have 
had correspondence with our pastor, and have seduced 
him, so far as to send him a call, thinking that the large 
amount of salary promised him will induce him to leave 
us — the Lord who thus far has caused your acts of sup- 
planting to fail will further direct them to a good end. 
We find ourselves bound to obey the command of the 
Saviour ' Do good to them that hate you ;' we therefore 
will deal with you hereafter, as we have before, 'doing 
you good.' It is true you give us no thanks for his 
services among you. You are bold enough to say that 
he has eight free Sundays during the year, which is as 
true as the assertion of the Devil to Eve, 'You will not 
surely die,' 

" If you desire, then, to have our minister four or six 
times during the year, wo will grant your wish cheer- 
fully, and leave it with our pastor to settle with you as 
to the amount of his compensation. If this cannot pre- 
vent the execution of your unjust intention, and the 
Lord wishes to use you as a rod to chasten us, we shall 
console ourselves with his gracious words, Heb. 12. 
• Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and he rebukes 
every son whom he adopts.' If it please the Lord to 
permit you to deprive us of our pastor, then we hope 
that your consciences will not be seared so much as to 
take away our livelihood amounting to XI 25 12.s. (W. 
(over paid salary). 

" Should this however be the case, then we will not 
hesitate to give the matter into the hands of a worldly 
judge. We expect your answer, and conclude our dis- 
course with the wish that the grace of our Lord and 



38 HISTORY OF THE MINISINK REGION. 

the love of God the Father, and the communion of the 
Holy Ghost, may remain with you until a blessed 
eternity. Amen. We remain your servants. 

" John C outright, 
" John Van Yliet, 
" Abm. Van Rampen. 
" William Cole." 

Whether this unique letter settled the matter or not, 
is not known ; but Mr. Fryenmuth remained with the 
Minisinkers. xlfter leaving Minisink, his whereabouts is 
involved in mystery; though he probably visited that 
section afterward, as his handwriting appears in the 
records at later dates. Lastly, August 26th. 1759, when 
he probably made his last visit. 

After the Indian troubles had partially subsided and 
a state of comparative quiet had been restored, Rev. 
Thomas Romeyn was selected to minister to the spiritual 
wants of the people of Minisink. He accepted the call 
September 6th, 1760, (as we learn from a letter of one of 
his descendants,) and was officiating minister until 1772, 
a period of twelve years, when he removed to Cahnawaga. 
Montgomery County, N. Y. The five years intervening 
between Mr. Fryenmuth's departure and Mr. Romeyn's 
arrival, appears to have been almost a blank in church 
affairs. 

During Mr. Romeyn's charge, these affairs, that till 
then had glided along so smoothly and uninterruptedly, 
partook of the spirit from abroad, and followed the 
course generally ascribed to the carnal world, and in 
weak imitation of poor sinful human nature, became 
embroiled in a quarel of surprising bitterness. 

The Dutch Reformed Church in this country had 
hitherto been subordinate to the classes of Amsterdam, 
in Holland; and all ministers desirous of being ordained, 



CHURCH AFFAIRS. 39 

had to proceed there for that purpose. A large portion 
of the members were in favor of continuing that practice, 
and were called the Conferentie party. The others 
were in favor of ordaining their ministers by classes in 
this country, thus saving the expense and formality of a 
trip to Europe. These went under the cognomen of 
the Coetus party. The first meeting of ministers to 
settle the question was held in the City of New York 
in the year 1737. Another was held the following year 
which decided in favor of the Coetus party, and sent their 
decision to the classes of Amsterdam for approval. The 
latter was finally confirmed in 1746, and thus the wing 
of the church in this country became independent of 
that of Holland. 

The first Coetus, or classes, for the ordination of min- 
isters and other business, was held in September, 1747. 
Under this new order all ministers were to be re-ordained, 
and a general overhauling of church affairs took place. 
The Conferentie party in Minisink were determined to 
hold the ascendency, and the Coetus party as fully 
determined they should not. The Coetus party insisted 
that in obedience to the new order all children should 
be rebaptized, and this developed a new feature in the 
ferment and added to its bitterness. The ladies of the 
Conferentie party declared they would not submit to 
this — it was bad enough to insult their ministers by 
forcing them to be re-ordained — but to cause the very 
babes to be re-baptized was an unheard of barbarity. 
Nobly did they maintain their ground. 

A young man, of the Coetus party, was waiting upon 
a young lady of good family, who, w r ith her parents, was 
strongly attached to the opposite party. The match 
progressed favorably. The young lady returned his 
affection, and gave her consent to an early marriage. 



40 HISTORY OF THE MINISINK REGION. 

Her parents did not object, and every thing bid fair for a 
prosperous voyage upon the sea of life. But, alas ! how 
easy it is for disappointment to intervene. One Sunday 
evening, as usual, the young man was wending his way 
to the residence of his betrothed. But about two weeks 
more were between him and the consummation of his 
cherished hopes. He determined on this evening to 
settle all little preliminaries; so that no misunderstand- 
ing might occur on some more important occasion. His 
intended met him at the door with her brightest smile 
of welcome, and ere long both found themselves alone 
in the best room before the sparkling fire. 

" And so, dearest Jane," said he, putting an arm around 
her neck, and snatching a kiss from her tempting lips, 
" so two weeks must pass by before I can call you my 
bonny wife. How I0112; the time will seem." 



" No, John," said she, " it will pass quick enough, for 
it may be, after we are married, you will not always 
think the same of me that you do now." 

" Ah, you little rogue, how can I ever think less of 
you ? But, by the way, my darling, I thought I would 
speak to you about the dominie we are to have to marry 

us. I think Ave had better get Mr. " (naming a 

minister of the Coetus party.) 

" And I have been thinking that Mr. Romeyn was the 
one we ought to get. He's a neighbor of ours, and 
preaches here in Maghackameck Church." 

" But I don't like him," said John, 

" We think he is a good man," said Jane. 

" But he is a Conference," persisted John. 

"And so am I a Conferentie," returned Jane indig- 
nantly, as she drew herself from his embrace. 

" But I won't have him," remarked John, rashly, as 
he began to feel his ireful nature rise. 



f'HtROH AFFAIR 41 

; * Then you won't have me," was Jane's rejoinder, 

" I can get along without you, I'll let you understand," 
said John, independently, as he began to look for his 
hat, and to move toward the door. 

" You're a good for nothing scamp, so you are," sobbed 
Jane, snappishly. 

"I am glad I have found you out before it was too 
late," quoth John, as he made his exit from the door. 
' ; I am glad of it " 



" And so am I glad of it," said Jane, determinedly; and 
she shut the door behind him and cut in twain his half 
finished sentence. 

This true incident of the ill feeling engendered by the 
controversy, did not terminate as all lover's quarrels 
generally do — in reconciliation — for tradition has it that 
they held good the grudge to the day of their death. 
Nor was the ill feeling among the members, productive 
of such notable results in this vicinity alone. It is 
recorded that an equally amusing incident took place at 
Hackensack, New Jersey, though of a different nature. 

Mr. Goetschius, the minister at that place, took sides 
with the Conferences, and announced himself an advo- 
cate of their measures. Hereat a great commotion arose, 
and the " pillars " of the church in the interest of the 
Coetus party, headed by the clerk, immediately assumed 
a pugilistic position. The preaching they had listened 
to, for hours at a time, with respectful attention and 
composure, they now declared to have been a decided 
bore. The opinions they had endorsed, and the sayings 
they had so often quoted as the productions of a genius 
possessed alone by their beloved dominie, they now dis- 
covered to have been sheer nonsense, and the author a 
numbscull. The common reply to a question often 
asked at gatherings, as to how the dominie was liked, 



t.) 



h2 iiiSfoiiY OF TiiK MiKi&fNK REGION. 

had been : " 0, he is a very smart man; I don't see how 
any one can help liking him;" now assumed the form of 
an every-day remark. " How dull the minister is. lately: 
I can't bear to listen to his preaching.*' 

In short, the minister who had before been classed 
among the race of humans known as " smart men," was 
now stoutly asserted to " know no more than he ought 
to," by the very ones who, a short time before, had been 
his warmest supporters. So much does a difference of 
opinion change the hearts of men. To counterbalance 
this tide of criticism, the dominie- launched from the 
pulpit his sharpest thrusts at the doctrines of his antag- 
onists. His opponents retaliated by staying at home 
and ridiculing the smallness of his congregation. The 
dominie waxed warm in the cause as his hearers grew 
small in numbers, and hurled logic in chunks of the 
largest dimensions in the teeth of his foes. They found 
-themselves necessitated to do something to prevent 
being outwinded by his reverence, and had recourse to 
a strategy often effectual when milder means fail — 
namely, they resolved to choke him off. The clerk held 
the keys of the church — nothing was easier — so the next 
time the minister came to fulfill an appointment, he 
found the doors loocked. On one or two occasions after 
this he succeeded in gaining admittance, and held forth 
triumphantly to the few persons comprising hi? audi- 
ence. To remedy this his opponents provided them- 
selves with a novel expedient. The next time he 
succeeded in gaining admittance they were on hand in 
full force, and the imperturbable clerk rose, as usual, to 
give out the opening hymn. This he did by giving to 
the singers the 119th psalm, which, in the mode of sing- 
ing then in vogue, would have consumed the entire day. 
This was something the dominie had not counted upon: 



I in imh APi -Air;- 48 

and, as a natural consequence, for some time it operated 
much as a knock-down blow is supposed to do in pugi- 
listic parlance; but at length thinking enough singing- 
had been done for one day, he rose — persisted in his 
efforts to be heard — overpowered the voices of the 
singers — succeeded in restoring silence, and again came 
off victorious. But, after all, his triumphs were produc- 
tive of such barren results that he was at last forced to 
succumb, and in the end the clerk and his friends carried 
the day. 

Other instances were known where opposing parti- 
sans met with their teams in the road and refused to 
turn out, till one or. the other became tired of waiting 
and had to yield the right of way. vowing all sorts of 
future revenge. 

Nor did the disturbance fail to reach the position of 
Mr. Romeyn. Being a member of the Conference 
party, his opponents assailed him much in the manner 
of the Hackensack dominie, but not in such violent 
terms. They listened to his preaching and respected 
his talents, but succeeded in got ting him removed in the 
year 1771. . . 

By this time the excitement had run its length, and 
in the following year almost wholly subsided, after 
having been a potent spirit of dissension for more than 
thirty years. 

Mr. Thomas Romeyn was born at Plimpton, X. J.. 
March 20, 1729. He commenced his studies for the 
ministry April, 1747. He sailed from New York to 
Europe April 11th, 1752; and was ordained by the 
Chassis at Amsterdam, Sept. 3, of the same year. He 
must have immediately sailed for America, for he accept- 
ed a call Nov. 10, of the same year, at Flatbush, Long- 
Island. June 29, 1756. he was married to Margaret 



44 HISTORY Q£ IKK KlNISItfg RSGION. 

Frelinghuyson, daughter of the Rev. Theodore Freling- 
huysori. His eldest son, Theodore, was born Nov. 28, 
1757; and his mother died the 25th day of the following 
month. 

Mr. Romeyn came to Minisink Sept. 6th, 1760, and 
married his second wife, Susannah Van Compton, daugh- 
ter of Col. Abm. Van Compton, of Paquary, Oct. 30, of 
the same year. By his last wife he had six sons — Abra- 
ham, born Aug. 9, 1761, about three miles below the 
brick house, New Jersey, Nicholas, James V. C, John, 
Benjamin and Thomas. He went to Cahnawaga, N. Y. ; 
in 1772, where he officiated as minister for one year ; 
when he was disabled by the palsy, we believe, and died 
October 22, 1794. 

Three of his sons entered the ministry. Theodore 
settled at Somerville, New Jersey, where he died at the 
age of 29. James was pastor of the church at Hacken- 
sack, New Jersey, thirty-three years, and died June, 
1840. The sixth son studied for the ministry, but died 
at the age of twenty-two. The seventh son was pastor 
of the church at Niskawgna, a little north of Albany, and 
was living June 9, 1855, aged seventy-eight years. For 
'thirteen or fourteen years after his leaving Minisink, a 
blank occurs. 

Rev. Elias Van Benschoten was installed as pastor of 
Mackhackemeck church August 28, 1785. The church 
had been burned by Brandt's Indians in 1779, and the 
second church was built during the first two years of 
Van Benschoten's pastorate, near the site of the first. 
In 1793 an inventory of the church property was made, 
as follows: 

" March 29, 1793. 

i( An inventory of all the estate, both real and per- 
sonal, with the annual revenue arising thereon, belonging 



CHURCH AFFAIRS. 45 

to the Dutch Reformed Church of Mackhackemeck, in 
the County of Orange: 

•' One acre of ground, with the church on it, without 
any annual revenue from the seats. 

" Third part of 23 acres and some parts of an acre of 
ground, with a house and barn on it, which the minister 
possesses for the time being as part of his salary. 

" Between £44 and £45 subscribed yearly to pay to 
the elders and deacons of said church, and by them to 
be paid unto our present minister while he resides 
among us. 

" One Bible, one Psalm book, one book of records. 

" Sabbath day collection in bank £2 15s. 9r/. 

" One little trunk. 

(Here follows a certificate stating the inventory to 
have been exhibited to "William Wickham, one of the 
judges of the Court of Common Pleas for Orange county.) 

" Benjamin Depuy, 
;i Sworn to. March ) " Harmanus Yan Inwegen, 

29th, 1793. j " Johannes Decker, 

" William Wickham.* 1 ,; Wilhelmus Cole, 

• Martinus Decker." 

The little trunk mentioned is in good preservation, 
and its countenance as unruffled as though but two years, 
instead of seventy-three, had passed over it. 

Mr. Van Benschoten's pastoral relations were dis- 
solved, we believe, in 1795; though he probably remained 
in the vicinity till after 1800. He died near Decker- 
town, N. J., where he owned a farm. 

Rev. John Demarest was his successor in 1803-4. and 
remained till about 1808. 

Rev. Cornelius C. Elting, the fifth in order, came to 
Mackhackemeck January 25, 1817, aged twenty -four 
years, and continued the services till he died, October 



4:6 HISTORY OF THE MINISINK REGION. 

24th, 1843. During his stay, in 1834, the present 
edifice was built — the land being donated by the Dela- 
ware and Hudson Canal Company. In 1838 the name 
was changed by act of the legislature to the " Dutch 
Reformed Church of Deerpark." 

Rev. George P. Van Wyck became his successor 
February 29, 1844. He remained till 1852. Rev. 
Hiram Slawson succeeded him February 22, 1853. Rev. 
S. W. Mills is the present incumbent, a notice of whose 
family will be found in chapter xi. of this work. 

The inhabitants of the Minisink region have become 
sadly diverse in religious matters since the building of 
the old church one hundred and twenty-nine years ago; 
and instead of four churches, numbers of them now 
abound of different denominations. But though they 
now have more modern appliances for worship, — costlier 
buildings of more fashionable exterior — huge bells of 
sounding brass — seats cushioned and pulpits trimmed 
with softest velvet, and organs tuned to greatest har- 
mony, — how much more sincere seems the rude piety of 
our Minisink ancestry, whose four churches were built 
for convenience without regard to fashion — the seats in 
them being undoubtedly of rough boards ; whose only 
music was the voices of fathers, mothers, sisters and 
brothers, sending anthems of praise in Nature's melody 
up to Nature's God; and the hour of worship announced 
on a Sabbath morning by the far echoing notes of a 
.simple tin horn ! 

" No sculptured marble marked the place 
Where God's high altar stood; 
It rose with unassuming grace 
Of plain unpainted wood." 



CHAPTER IV. 

THE WAR WITH THE JEBSEYMEN, 

The heroic people of this region did not suffer their 
minor difficulties to hinder them from defending their 
rights against all foes, whether native or foreign; and 
for a period of sixty-seven years, fought a war second to 
none in the brilliancy of the strategical operations, and 
daring achievements — though the number of the slain 
may not have equaled the number of the one battle of 
the Wilderness, or their generals the fame of a Sherman 
or a Grant. The war partook of. the general character 
of a border fra} T , and arose from a dispute in regard to 
the boundary line between New York and New Jersey. 

Charles II., King of England, gave his brother, the 
Duke of York, afterward King James II., a patent of all 
the lands " from the West side of the Connecticut River 
to the East side of Delaware Bay," elated March 12th. 
1663. On June 24th of the following year, the Duke 
granted by lease and release all the tract of country now 
known as New Jersey — then called Nova Ccesarea (so 
described in the patent) — to John, Lord Berkley, and 
Sir George Cartaret, bounded as follows: " Southward 
to the main ocean as far as Cape May at the mouth of 
the Delaware, then along said River or Bay to the 
Northward as far as the Northwardmost branch of the 



48 THE WAR WITH THE JERSEYMEN. 

said Bay or River, which is in latitude 41 deg. 40 inin., 
and crosseth over thence in a straight line to the latitude 
41 deg., on Hudson's River." 

Cartaret took the east half .of the province and 
Berkley the west, and thus it became called East 
and West New Jersey. The Dutch re-conquered New' 
York in 1673, and this territory again came into 
their possession; but a treaty of peace being concluded 
February 9, 1674, between England and Holland, it was 
restored to the English. Sir George Cartaret immedi- 
ately took the precaution of having a new patent made 
out the 29th of July following the treaty of peace, and 
the boundaries were again defined in about the same 
general terms as before. 

A discussion soon arose as to which should be consid- 
ered the " Northwardmost branch " of the Delaware 
river. All agreed on a point on the Hudson river, in 
latitude 41 deg.; but the New York men insisted that 
the line should reach the Delaware at the southern 
extremity of what is called Big Minisink Island, and the 
Jerseymen as stoutly contended that it should -touch the 
Delaware a little south of where Cochecton now stands 
— thus leaving a'territory in dispute several miles wide 
at the west end, and tapering to a point at the east. 
This included a good part of the Minisink region. The 
proprietors, under the New Jersey government, parceled 
out the land in tracts to different persons, and these 
came on to assume possession. The Minisink people 
having enjoyed possession for a long time refused to 
agree to this, and determined to maintain their claims. 
Recrimination and retaliation followed, and a general 
border warfare took place. Numbers of the Minisink 
people were taken prisoners and lodged in the prisons 
of New Jersey, and a state of alarm and danger prevailed, 



THE WAR WITH THE JERSEYMEN. 49 

The men went constantly armed, prepared to defend 
themselves to the last extremity, and keeping a con- 
stant lookout for the appearance of their meddlesome 
foes. 

The first regular series of engagements of much 
notoriety that is recorded, resulted from the efforts 
made to obtain possession of the lands of one Major 
Swartout, between the years 1730 and 1740. The 
Major was a true gentleman of the old school, a hale, 
bluff old pioneer. He was major of the militia of Orange 
county, and when parade days came around, none pre- 
sented a more military appearance. The people of 
Goshen, where the military parades then took place, as 
fully considered the major a part of the occasion as they 
were certain that the day came round. It was then he 
was in his element. Mounted on his powerful horse, at 
the head of his men, his doughty limbs and portly frame 
encased in military toggery resplendent in brass but- 
tons, a sword of monstrous length dangling from his 
waist and flapping against his horse's side with every 
jolt, his head encased in a huge cocked hat, over which 
a feather flaunted proudly, and from under which his 
eyes twinkled with the importance of his position, the 
Major justly carried the palm of superiority in his pro- 
fession, and presented a model which, but few officers, 
with all modern inventions, have been able to copy 
successfully even at the present day. His lands were 
in the disputed territory, and threats were made time 
and again by the Jerseymen that they meant to drive 
the Major off. He however took the matter coolly, slept 
soundly through the wars and rumors of wars that 
reached his ears, and assured his friends at Goshen that 
he was not afraid, in reply to a prophesy that he would 
come into Goshen some morning homeless. His neigh- 
3 



50 HISTOBY OF THE MINISINK REGION, 

bors stood ready to lend their help whenever called on, 
and the knowing ones shook their heads and hinted 
that the " Jersey Blues " wonld have a lively time 
in getting hold of the Major's land. But the enemy 
were crafty, and one day when the neighbors were 
absent on some public occasion, made a charge on the 
Major's fortress, and before he could form his family in 
line of battle, much less draw his " trusty blade," he 
found himself, his family and household goods, residents 
of an exceeding large residence — the timbers thereof 
not made with hands, the roof the blue heavens, and the 
rooms large and airy to a fault — in fact found himself 
out of doors. A pretty predicament this, for the major 
of the Orange county militia. Besides, the Major had 
made quite extensive preparations for this very attack; 
having kept a number of loaded muskets ready for use, 
and several extra hired men on the farm to defend it; 
and to be thus outgeneraled reflected somewhat on his 
military prowess. But he was not the man to despond; 
so removing his family to a neighbor's house he set oft' 
for help, and one fine morning the people of Goshen 
were surprised to see the redoubtable Major come riding- 
down the street looking greatly chopfallen, and altogether 
devoid of that erect, martial air, so much the admiration 
of his men. 

The intelligence of his disaster sped with lightning 
rapidity, and in a short time a formidable company had 
volunteered to reinstate him in his own house. Arriv- 
ing in the vicinity it was judged best to employ a little 
strategy, and the whole company crept as close as pos- 
sible to the house without being discovered. They 
then sent Peter Gumaer to the house as a sort of recon- 
noitering party, to see if everything was favorable. If 
sq ; he was to come out of the house, and while going 



THE WAR WITH THE JERSEYMEN. 51 

through the orchard throw up an apple, as a signal for 
the attack. Mr. Gumaer was gone some time, every 
moment of which was passed in anxious expectation by 
the heroes of the ambush. At last they saw him come 
out of the house, and as he passed through the orchard, 
give the required signal. Simultaneously they made a 
rush, with a yell of defiance that would have done credit 
to a band of Minisink Indians. The occupants of the 
house were totally unprepared; even had it been other- 
wise it would have availed them nothing. Right on 
came the Major, puffing and blowing with the extraor- 
dinary exercise of a double-quick, and the effort needed 
to keep an upright position, owing to the scabbard of 
his big sword so frequently getting entangled with his 
legs — while behind him came his company, in an irreg- 
ular line, but with a determination visible to do or to 
die. Right on they came with an impetuosity that 
stopped at no impediment ! On they came over the 
beet and onion beds in the garden; over the door-yard 
fence, and the flower beds in the door yard ! — on ! — on 
they charged right up to the very door. The fastenings 
gave way before the pressure, and in less time than it 
takes to tell it, the inmates were taken by the napes of their 
necks and walked out-doors — the Major claiming the 
privilege of bestowing three or four hearty kicks upon 
the ringleader's rear, as a parting admonition when he 
stepped from the door. Their goods were quickly 
thrown out after them, and thus was this decisive vic- 
tory gained without the loss of a single man. 

Knowing that this would be followed by a more ex- 
tensive raid, the people of Minisink procured the ser- 
vices of a spy, who lived among the Jersey claimants, 
some twenty miles distant, and thus got information of 
their intended movements in time to frustrate them. 



52 HISTORY OF THE MINISINK REGION. 

The Major's son-in-law, one Harmanus Van Inwegen, 
also acquired considerable fame during this struggle. 
He is recorded to have been a very bold, intrepid man, 
and to have possessed great strength. As an instance of 
this it is stated that on one occasion, while at work in 
the field, word was brought to him that some Indians 
were at his house abusing his family. He at once re- 
paired to the house, and entering it abruptly, grappled 
with the Indians, and after a sharp hand-to-hand strug- 
gle, succeeded in overpowering and driving them from 
the house by main strength alone. This was the more 
courageous from the fact that the Indians were armed 
with guns and attempted to shoot him frequently during 
the contest. 

About 1740, word was conveyed to the Minisink peo- 
ple that the " Jersey Blues " contemplated a grand 
raid on the disputed territory during the fall of that 
year, and preparations were made to give them a warm 
reception. On the day of the expected attack, the 
owners of the territory, with their sons and relatives, 
collected at the house of Harmanus Van Inwegen. They 
were well armed and equipped, and met seriously with 
the determination of maintaining their rights. Major 
Swartout was unanimously chosen commander, and pro- 
ceeded to organize the forces. They were deployed in 
double column fronting the direction of the expected at- 
tack, the right and left wings under command of Jacob 
Cuddeback and old Mr. Yan Inwegen, respectively. 
They were both as resolute as the Major, and when 
their positions were assigned them, took their places in 
front of the line ; remarking, that as they were old men 
their lives were not so valuable as those of the young, 
and they desired to occupy the most exposed situations, 
The Major then took his station in front, to lead and give 



THE WAR WITH THE JERSEYMEN. 53 

the word of command. Never had he felt so proudly as 
when on that eventful day he cast his eye along the well- 
formed lines of his little army. Even the feather in his 
cocked hat seemed to be aware of the important posi- 
tion it occupied, and danced lightly in the breeze as if 
eager for the conflict. Especially did his eye rest with 
delight on his wing commanders — they were his depend- 
ence; for full well he understood, that the quickest way 
to make an army fly is to break its wings; and these he 
had reason to know would be the weakest parts of the 
enemy's lines. Not long had they to wait. The enemy 
soon made his appearance in strong force on the road. 
His lines were well filled and the men looked stout and 
well armed. Their commander too was a constable 
from the land of Jersey — a man powerful in his own 
estimation, and more especially so when armed as he 
now was with the terrible majesty of authority conferred 
by reason of the law. The Major, who had before felt 
confident of an easy victory, now began to feel some 
misgivings as to the result. The pommel of his sword, 
upon which his hand rested, felt only about half as large 
as before, and the feather in his cocked hat began to 
smooth itself down behind the crown. On came the 
constable and .the Jerseymen in fearful array, though 
somewhat dismayed at the unexpected force opposed to 
them. The constable's nether lip began to lengthen 
dubiously, and his knees to tremble in spite of himself ; 
but there was no backing out now. The distance began to 
shorten visibly between the contending forces. Timid 
ones began to cast anxious glances behind them and to 
wish themselves anywhere but at that particular place. 
Visions of past misdeeds floated through their minds, 
coupled with the thought that a repentance would avail 
nothing when brought about by fear alone. The dis- 



54 HISTORY OF THE MINISINK REGION. 

tance lessened. A few moments more and the battle 
would begin. The forces are within gunshot. But see, 
the courage of the constable's men begins to waver — 
their steps grow shorter, and he commands a halt ! It 
was a moment of dread suspense. One word and death 
would most probably have visited the ranks of both 
parties. Gerardus Swartout, a son of the Major, not 
knowing whether it would be best to kill any of the foe, 
at this juncture called to his father to know how he 
should fire. The Major remembered their raid upon 
his house, and the death of his wife, who was sick at the 
time and who died afterwards from the effect of their 
hasty removal, and replied determinedly, "Kill them !' ; 
This was the finishing stroke; the Jerseymen had sup- 
posed their formidable display would strike terror to 
the opposing ranks, but when they heard the Major's 
reply and saw his men ready to execute it, it filled them 
with consternation, and they struck an air-line for the 
nearest woods. The Major's men took a circuitous 
route and intercepted them while passing a ravine 
about two miles from the scene of battle. They at once 
fired upon the marauders, and their rout became gen- 
eral. The only life lost was that of the constable's 
horse, which fell at the first fire, giving its owner a lift 
in the world he had not calculated on, and landing him 
in a bunch of brambles. Out of this he crawled, minus 
hat and gun, and struck the very fastest gait he could 
on a bee-line for New Jersey, each particular hair stand- 
ing so straight behind that it was said a pick-axe could 
have been hung upon it and not have fallen off. The 
victory was complete; and thus in the second regular 
engagement did the Jerseymen return home worsted. 

The next raid of the Jerseymen took place in 1753. 
and was made to obtain possession of the lands and per- 



THE WAR WITH THE JERSEYMEN, 55 

son of Thomas De Key (or Dekay), who was at that time 
Colonel of the Orange county militia, and also justice of 
the peace. De Key, wishing to get along without any 
disturbance, went to James Alexander, one of the pro- 
prietors of East New Jersey, and asked to remain 
unmolested till the boundary should be determined. 
This Alexander would not agree to, stating that the land 
belonged to New T Jersey, and that he must submit to 
the laws of that State. This the Colonel in turn refused 
to do, and so the question remained. Shortly after, a 
party of armed men from New Jersey appeared before 
the Colonel's door. He had perceived them approach- 
ing, and had prepared for defense by arming himself and 
stoutly barricading all the entrances to the house. 
He then appeared at a window and warned them that 
death awaited the first man who should undertake to 
force an entrance to the house. This rather checkma- 
ted their plans. Some of them cocked their guns and 
threatened to shoot the Colonel through the heart as he 
stood at the window — others swearing they would set 
fire to the house and shoot every man, woman and child, 
that should undertake to flee from it; and some declaring 
in favor of starving him out. But Colonel De Key was 
not so easily intimidated. He stuck to his position, and 
the enemy again were forced to retire, vowing that next 
time they would bring a force with them large enough 
to take the whole of Goshen, and assuring the Colonel 
that they would have him yet. 

The matter was frequently brought before the Colo- 
nial Assemblies of both New York and New Jersey, by 
the proprietors of the"Minisink and Wawayanada patents, 
and in 1754 Lieut. Gov. James De Lancey noticed it in 
the following message to that body in New York: 

" Gentlemen — The division line between this govern- 



56 HISTORY OF THE MINISINK REGION. 

ment and the province of New Jersey not being settled, 
has given rise to great tumults and disorders among the 
people of Orange County and the adjacent inhabitants 
of New Jersey, and may produce worse evils unless pre- 
vented by a timely care. Nothing can answer the pur- 
pose so effectually, I think, as the fixing of a temporary 
line of peace between us, until his Majesty's pleasure 
shall be known in the matter. G-overner Belcher assures 
me of his sincere desire that amicable and conciliatory 
measures may be fallen upon by the governments to 
make the borders easy: and I have proposed to him the 
running such line conformable to the opinion of his 
Majesty's council, signified in their report to me, which 
1 shall order to be laid before you, and if it receives 
your approbation I shall forthwith appoint commissioners 
for running such line of peace, and apply to that govern- 
ment to do the like on their part. 77 

But notwithstanding the above message promised to 
so speedily provide for the welfare of the people of Min- 
isink by a settlement of this vexatious question, it was 
not heard of again for years, and the quarrel continued. 
About 1765 the last raid of the Jersey men took place, 
for the capture of Major and Johannes Westbrook — two 
persons who lived within the limits of the disputed ter- 
ritory, and were leading men in the ranks of the Mini- 
sink claimants. The invaders chose Sunday for the 
accomplishment of their design, and resolved to falsify 
the old proverb that " Evil men love darkness rather 
than light, 77 by making the venture in broad daylight. 
The appointed day came. The Major and Captain 
Westbrook as usual attended the Maghackemeck Church, 
to listen to the expounding of divine w T rit by Mr. Thomas 
Romeyn, the pastor. The psalms were sung, the prayers 
made, and the minister went on with his discourse. 



THE WAB WITH THE JERSEYMEN. 5? 

Little thought his hearers as they waxed drowsy with 
the length of the good man's sermon and the warmth of 
the day, that a far more exciting topic than his every- 
day struggle in wordy combat with the powers of dark- 
ness, awaited their consideration; that even while they 
suffered their thoughts to stray from the text to the satisfy- 
ing consolation of a good Sunda} T dinner, a circle of dark 
forms was drawing closer and closer around the edifice. 
The services closed. It was a direful moment. The 
Major and Captain Westbrook appeared, and the be- 
siegers rushed toward them with a shout. But quick as 
were their movements, those of the attacked were 
quicker. Hats and coats were doffed — shouts of defi- 
ance arose — positions of defence assumed on the instant, 
and the attackers met with stubborn resistance. 
Neither party violated the sanctity of the Sabbath by 
the use of arms other than those given by nature. The 
women screamed, cried and scolded — the men shouted, 
fought, and no doubt thought of some very profane 
words, if they did not speak them. The place which a 
few moments before was a perfect pattern of Sabbath 
quietness, was changed as if by the enchanter's wand into 
a complete pandemonium. Frightful sounds of discord, 
kicks, cuffs, blows and maddened yells of victory or pain, 
mingled with the tones of entreaty, sobs and screams, 
filled the air. The green was covered with the crowd 
of terrified women and maddened, struggling men. 

" Long time in even scale the battle hung." 

Down and up, and over and under they went as the tide 
of battle turned. The faces so contented and serene 
while the minister was fighting evil doers with the 
Scriptures, now began to present a motley array of 
bloody noses, blackened eyes, and lips cut and swollen, 
since they had grappled with the powers of New Jersey. 
3* 



58 HISTORY OF THE MINISINK REGION. 

But why prolong the description of this unequal contest ? 
The Jerseymen in this instance proved too numerous 
for the Minisinkers, and marched off the Major and 
Captain in triumph. The prisoners, however, without 
doubt, consoled themselves somewhat with the thought 
that they had at least made their capture a " lively 
time " for their assailants. They were confined some 
time in what was called the Jersey Colony prison, but 
finally released. 

Thus this hard-fought battle of the fist was at last 
productive of barren results. This was the last signal 
engagement of the war. The governments of the two 
Colonies in 1767 appointed Commissioners to run a 
boundary line, but such was the bitterness of feeling 
among the inhabitants that they dared not do it, and as 
a reason for not performing their duty, stated in their 
report that the Indians were so hostile they deemed it 
unsafe. The line was shortly after surveyed however, 
the disputed territory about equally divided between 
the claimants — and so the war was peaceably settled at 
last, just as it might have been at first, if the ruling 
powers had been composed of men desirous of doing so. 



CHAPTER V. 

INCIDENTS OF THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 

The two governments; France and England, could not 
fail of being jealous of each other, rivals as they were 
for the mastery of the western continent ; and this feel- 
ing found vent in a continued series of predatory excur- 
sions into each other's colonial possessions, and divers 
strategical efforts to gain the ascendancy in a favora- 
ble alliance with the warlike tribes of Indians. Espe- 
cially was this the case along the borders of the Canadas 
and the province of New York and those of New Eng- 
land. It was this spirit of hatred and jealousy among 
the Indians, fostered and encouraged on the one side by 
the English against the French, and on the other by the 
French against the English, that caused such a long 
record of horrible atrocities to be connected with the 
Indian name in the early history of the Colonies. But 
though for many years the tide of war had vacillated 
between the opposing parties with undecisive results to 
either side, its bloody front had not as yet shown itself 
in a serious form among the settlers of the Minisink 
region ; and it was not till 1754 that they began to 
perceive signs of an approaching tempest. During that 
year England directed the Colonies to oppose the 
encroachments of the French by force of arms, though 
the mother countries were at peace with each other. 
The war gradually increased, and the following year 



60 HISTORY OP THE MINISINK REGION. 

became a general contest between the two nations, and 
has been ever since known in history as the " old French 
and Indian war of 1755." 

The struggle was entered upon with the determina- 
tion to throw all possible force into the scale. In Feb- 
ruary of that year, the legislature of New York voted 
45,000 pounds sterling to defray expenses, and in May 
ordered a levy of 800 men to be made to co-operate with 
the troops of the other Colonies. The most stringent 
measures were adopted to secure the public safety; and 
among others equally severe, was a law passed the same 
year by the legislature, to the effect that in cases of 
imminent danger, slaves were liable to military duty, 
and that if any colored person over the age of fourteen 
was found a mile or more from his or her master's plan- 
tation, without a certificate from the master stating 
their business, they were to be judged guilty of felony, 
without benefit of clergy. The same law also declared 
that any person so finding a slave or slaves had the 
right to shoot or destroy him or them without being 
liable to impeachment or prosecution for the same. 

The first intimation the Minisink settlers had of 
approaching danger, was the disappearance of the 
Indians from their neighborhood. Squads of them that 
had been on the most friendly terms with the whites 
were suddenly missed, and the few Indians that remained 
told them that they had gone to join the hostile tribes 
near Cochecton and farther west. The settlers knew 
enough of Indian character to foresee the ordeal to 
which they were to be subjected, and began to prepare 
for the worst. The women and children were first sent 
to a place of safety — to Old Paltz, Rochester, and 
Wawarsing in Ulster county, and to Goshen in Orange, 
at all of which places the majority of them had relatives 



THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 61 

by marriage or otherwise ; for they knew the fury of 
the Indian would be vented alike on the strong and the 
helpless. Though their vicinity had hitherto been 
spared, the terrible details of Indian vengeance as seen 
in the murder at Schaghticoke were fresh in their 
memory. 

Capt. Johannis Bratt and David Ketlin were two 
pioneers in the wilderness, at a place called by the 
Indians Schaghticoke, near Albany. For companionship 
they built their houses a short distance apart, and 
many a long day in this lonely place the only sound 
heard by either to enliven his toil, was the echo of the 
other's axe amid the mighty timber. Time enabled 
them to surround themselves with many comforts, and 
Indian depredations so frequent in the surrounding 
country had been a thing unknown to them, except by 
rumor, which never failed to tell them of horrible crimes 
committed, whenever they went to Albany for neces- 
saries. But they had done nothing to incur the resent- 
ment of the red man, and so they trusted in Providence 
and toiled on. On the 20th of October, 1711, they 
started from their homes to visit a settlement distant 
some two miles — Ketlin on foot and Bratt on horseback. 
They had proceeded but a short distance, when they 
met an Indian sauntering along with his gun upon his 
shoulder. Ketlin spoke to him in the Indian language, 
and asked where he was going. He replied that he 
was going a hunting. " But," said Ketlin, "where are 
your comrades ?" He answered, " They have gone 
ahead into the woods." Ketlin turned to Capt. Bratt, 
remarking in Dutch that there was something suspicious 
about his actions, and that he was a strange Indian. 
The instant Ketlin turned to speak to the Captain, the 
Indian slung his rifle to his shoulder and fired, killing 



62 HISTORY OP THE MINISINK REGION. 

the Captain dead upon his horse. The suddenness of 
the terrific act, for a moment paralyzed Ketlin's 
thoughts, but it was for a moment only. He knew that 
his own life depended on the quickness of his move- 
ments, and sprang at once to grapple with his foe, as 
he had no weapons of any kind. The Indian had drawn 
his tomahawk, or rather axe, and as Ketlin approached 
struck a murderous blow at his head : but he dodged 
it, and scarcely too, for the helve hit his shoulder. 
Then came the struggle for life. Ketlin was a powerful 
man, and desperation lent him new strength. It was 
an anxious moment, that comprehended the period of 
that trial of strength on foot ; but Ketlin was the 
superior and succeeded in throwing his antagonist. In 
the fall he was also fortunate enough to secure the axe 
in his left hand. The Indian saw that he was gaining 
the advantage, but like his tribe, it only seemed to 
increase his courage. 

" You shall die," he hissed between his set teeth. 
" There are twenty French Indians on both sides the 
river." 

" That may be," said Ketlin, " but you will die first." 
To carry out the threat, he undertook to change the 
axe from his left hand to his right. At that instant the 
Indian, concentrating all his energies, gave him a tre- 
mendous heave. It displaced him somewhat, and ere 
he could recover his advantage the Indian gained his 
feet, broke from his grasp, and with a yell of triumph dis- 
appeared in the forest. He started to pursue him, but 
a vine caught his foot and threw him violently to the 
ground. Ketlin brought the Indian's gun and axe home 
and then went to the settlement and notified the inhab- 
itants of the struggle. Capt. Bratt's body was brought 
to Albany the same day. Knowing the habits of Indian 



THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 63 

warfare, it was reasonable to suppose that they would 
seek revenge that night. Ketlin therefore procured the 
services of three soldiers and proceeded to prepare his 
house for defense. The little garrison consisted of 
Ketlin's family, his brother's wife and two children, the 
three soldiers, and an Indian boy. 

The evening wore away in silence. Hours passed 
slowly to the fearful minds of the watchful ones in that 
lonely house, and still no signs of the enemy. About 
midnight a timid knock was heard upon the door. 
Ketlin asked in the Indian tongue who was there. An 
Indian voice answered, " It is I." 

" Where do you come from ?" asked Ketlin. 

" From the other side of the river. I am a friend and 
wish to help you against the French Indians.- Open the 
door." 

" I am afraid you will cheat me," said Ketlin. 

" No," replied the Indian, " I'm a friend ; open the 
door." 

A- hurried consultation was held by the inmates, and 
almost all opposed it. But Ketlin declared that if a 
friend they needed his help, and if an enemy they could 
very easily keep him out. Suiting his action to his 
opinion, he fearlessly stepped to the door and swung it 
partly open. Dearly did he pay for his temerity. In- 
stantly there was a blinding flash of light, a deafening 
report, and he fell dead, pierced by six musket balls. 
A moment's silence, and then the whole forest seemed 
alive with the whooping demons. The soldiers fired a 
volley at the dusky forms of the advancing savages; it 
checked them, and Ketlin's son, a boy of sixteen, sprang 
up and closed the door. The women loaded the rifles, 
and handed the ammunition to the heroic defenders of 
that ill-starred house. Long they kept the enemy at 



64 HISTORY OP THE MINISINK REGION. 

bay by firing from the port-holes and windows, but it 
was doomed to be all in vain. A low spluttering sound 
kept rising higher and higher, till at last it made itself 
heard above the crack of the rifles and the yells of the 
savage foe. A kind of yellow twilight began to light up 
the forest. The beseiged gathered around the dead 
body of their friend, husband and father, and debated 
as to the last chance they had of saving themselves. 
The savages were silent now — their success was certain. 
The house was on fire. Nothing now disturbed the 
stillness of the night, save the increasing roar of the 
crackling flames. The coals began to fall through the 
floor overhead, and the inmates knew they could stay 
in the house no longer. A brief prayer was breathed; 
they grasped each other's hand in a mute farewell, for 
well they knew they would never all meet together again 
until they gained the shores of the unknown world of 
eternity. Then one of the soldiers opjened the door and 
cried " Now I" and they all sprang for their lives. The 
soldiers were ahead. The first one was shot dead; the 
next was pursued and taken prisoner, and the third one 
shot. The next was the Indian boy, who was shot 
through the arm and breast, but succeeded in getting to 
the Avoods and escaped. Ketlin's son kept firing till he 
was at last shot through the shoulder and taken pris- 
oner. The women and children were made prisoners. 
Fire was applied to the barns, and the whole party then 
started away. About a quarter of a mile from the 
house, Ketlin's wife being in a very delicate situation, 
was so overcome by fright that she sank down by the 
path. Seeing she could proceed no farther, one of the 
savages bared her throat across a small log. She made 
no complaint, but folding her hands over her breast, 
closed her eyes, and met her doom without a sigh. A 



THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 65 

moment the tomahawk was poised in the air, and as the 
light from her burning home lighted up her bare throat, 
it descended swiftly and her head was almost severed 
from her body. Then grasping the hair of her head in 
one hand, he dexterously drew the scalping-knife in the 
other, and running a gash around the scalp tore it off 
with a sudden wrench, swung aloft his bloody trophy 
with a whoop, and rejoined his comrades. 

The other woman had a young child she carried in 
her arms. Shortly after the murder of Ketlin's wife it 
began to cry, and all its mother's efforts to keep it quiet 
were unavailing. Angry at its noise, one of the savages 
seized it by the heels, tore it from its mother's arms, 
swung it out at arms' length and dashed its brains out 
against an oak tree. At the fate of her infant, the 
mother uttered a heart-piercing cry. It was her last. 
In an instant the murderous tomahawk had sank into 
her brain, and the next moment her form lay upon the 
ground, a scalpless, quivering corpse. 

All that returned to tell the tale was the Indian boy 
who escaped from the burning house. The other par- 
ticulars were learned from an old lame Indian who hap- 
pened in the vicinity and followed the retreating party. 
(Vol. v. p. 281 Doc. relating to N. Y.) 

This incident is given, not because it was remembered 
more by the people of Minisink than others of the kind, 
but because it more fully illustrates the leading traits of 
Indian character — duplicity, cunning and revenge. No 
wonder was it that the inhabitants of the Minisink 
Region betook themselves to measures of defense at 
the first alarm. Some of their bravest men had volun- 
teered to fight against the French, and the people of 
the Peenpack neighborhood had furnished the great 
northern expedition with a team, wagon, and teamster. 



66 HISTOEY OP THE MINISINK REGION. 

Three forts were built in what was known as the upper 
neighborhood (or Peenpack), and three in the lower 
neighborhood next the Delaware river. Those in Peen- 
pack were located, one on the Neversink at the north- 
west end of the settlement, not far from where Cudde- 
backville now stands; one at the house of Peter Gumaer, 
in the central part of the neighborhood; and one in the 
southwest of the settlement, at the house of Mr. West- 
fall, near the farm lately occupied by Peter Swartout, 
Esq. These three forts gave protection to about twelve 
families. The location of the three forts in the lower 
neighborhood is not precisely known, no record of them 
being preserved. They are said to have afforded pro- 
tection to about eighteen families. 

The first incident that showed the people of this 
region how well-timed were their precautions, occurred 
about the time of harvest in the year 1756. Three men 
in the lower neighborhood went out one morning to 
commence cutting a field of grain . As usual they took 
their guns along, not thinking however of seeing any 
Indians, as nothing had been heard of any in the vicinity. 
Arriving at the field they set down their guns and com- 
menced work. While working along busily they got 
some distance from their arms, and were suddenly start- 
led by the dread warwhoop. A glance showed them 
their peril. A party of Indians had been lying in 
ambush and had seized their guns. They ran for their 
lives, but the Indians' aim was unerring. They were all. 
three killed, and their scalpless bodies found soon after. 
Pursuit was given, but in vain; the spoilers were too 
wary to be overtaken. 

At another time a band of Indians made an effort to 
capture the fort at WestfalPs, and came near being 
successful. They sent out a couple of scouts, who dis- 



THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 67 

covered the fort to be occupied by two women only. 
As soon as this intelligence reached the main body they 
made instant preparations for its capture. But luckily, 
in the interval a party of soldiers going from New 
Jersey to Esopus came along, and stopped at the fort 
for refreshments. Not knowing this, the Indians sud- 
denly burst in the doors before the soldiers were fairly 
seated. They were somewhat surprised at the unex- 
pected presence of the soldiers, but nothing daunted, 
they fired a volley at them and then throwing aside 
their guns fell upon them with the tomahawk. The 
soldiers retreated to the chamber of the building, and 
recovering from the first panic, they opened such a 
deadly fire upon the intruders that they were soon 
forced to vacate the premises. This was a closely con- 
tested battle and cost the lives of several of the soldiers 
as well as a goodly number of the Indians. 

But the settlers were not always successful in these 
contests. A large party of Indians during one of their 
forays into the settlement, attacked the upper fort on 
the Neversink. It was well garrisoned, and its defend- 
ers made a brave resistance. One savage after another 
fell before the aim of the beseiged, and they would soon 
have had to give up the attack had not the fort taken 
fire from the burning of the barn near by. The heat 
soon became so intense that the inmates were forced to 
the alternative of risking their chances by flight or 
perishing in the flames. There was not much difference 
in the modes of death, and both were certain. As the 
flames enveloped the building, one after another stole 
from the death by fire, only to meet a more speedy one 
by the bullet or tomahawk. Not a single man of the 
garrison escaped. The only women in the fort, the 
Captain's wife and a colored woman, secreted them- 



68 HISTORY OF THE MINISINK REGION. 

selves in the cellar. Here they remained till the coals 
began to fall through the floor, when the white woman 
ran out and endeavored to elude pursuit by running 
round the house. The Indians followed her in a body, 
and soon overtook and killed her. When the shout of 
victory that announced the death of the Captain's wife, 
reached the ears of the black woman, she rightly judged 
it a proper time to make a trial for life ; and accordingly 
ran under the shadow of the smoke for the nearest 
woods. The savages being on the other side of the 
fort did not perceive her, and she gained the covert of 
the timber in safety. She then concealed herself on 
the banks of the Neversink till morning, when she took 
a circuitous route through the woods to Gumaer's fort, 
the sole survivor of the massacre. The Captain came 
home a day Or two afterwards, and then learned for the 
first time the tidings of the sad catastrophe. The 
friends, the comfortable home, the loving Avife — all he 
had but a short time before left so happy and cheerful — 
were gone ! Nothing remained to tell of their existence 
but the smoldering ashes of the fort and the disfigured 
corpses of its occupants. By the grave of his wife he 
took an oath of vengeance ; and during the remaining 
years of his life, many a red-skin was sent to the world 
of spirits by his hand, in redemption of the pledge. 

There was an incident connected with the capture of 
this fort, that for a long time was held by the super- 
stitious people of the neighborhood as a singular fatality. 
Two women from Gumaer's fort had been there visiting 
on the day of the attack. During their visit the soldiers 
had been telling stories and jokes, and getting the " rig" 
on different ones as usual. Among other things they 
told the colored woman they were going to be attacked 
by the Indians soon, and that she need not expect to 



THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 69 

escape for she was too fat to run fast. The result was 
altogether different from their prophecy. The attack 
came sooner than they dreamt of, and she was the only 
one that did escape. 

Whenever one of the settlers wished to visit his 
relatives at Goshen, or in Napanoch, it was always 
necessary to take along an escort of soldiers, or to travel 
in companies, so beset were the roads with lurking 
savages. Abraham Low and William Cuddeback, on 
one occasion undertook a journey to Rochester, Ulster 
county, alone in a wagon. On the return route, near 
home, they were shot at by Indians concealed near the 
roadside. Low was wounded in the shoulder, but by 
applying the whip vigorously, the horse soon carried 
them out of danger. 

A man named Owens, was soon after killed while at 
work in the meadow of Asa Dolsen, by a strolling band 
of Indians. Dolsen immediately removed his family to 
Goshen for safety. The scene of this incident was in 
what is known as Dolsentown, in the north-eastern part 
of the present town of Wawayanda. 

Near the same place, three Indians, on another occa- 
sion, chased a man for a long distance. At last he crept 
under some weeds and brush at the foot of a tree which 
had blown down. The Indians came and stood upon 
the body of the tree, and after looking around for some 
time gave two or three yells and departed, without dis- 
covering the object of their search who was so near 
them. 

Two brothers, Daniel and David Cooley, had located 
on farms near Mr. Dolsen's. In those days it was cus- 
tomary to build ovens separate from the houses. David 
Cooley's wife one day was going from the oven to the 
house, just as a party of Indians were passing. With- 



70 HISTORY OF THE MINISINK EEGION. 

out a word one of them leveled his rifle and shot her 
dead. This cold-blooded deed was perpetrated on the 
farm now owned by the heirs of Capt. John Cummings. 

East of this the Indians seldom ventured; though one 
Sunday morning a man by the name of Webb was killed 
by them, just over the outlet in the town of Goshen. 
This they boasted of a great deal, but their operations 
were mostly confined to petty thefts in that quarter, 
owing to the thickness of the settlements. 

During this war an incident occurred in the Minisink 
settlement that forms a striking illustration of the force 
of attachment to the savage mode of life. A straggling- 
band of Indians captured a little son of Mr. WestfalFs, 
near the fort at the north-west end of the Peenpack 
settlement, in the commencement of the war. Nothing 
more was heard of him for years. The French and 
Indian war with its train of horrors and barbarities be- 
came a thing of the past. Still no tidings came to the 
parents of the absent one, whom they had long mourned 
as dead. The Revolutionary war with its red waves of 
savage desolation swept over the land, and still nought 
came to tell the parents of a different fate for the loved 
and lost. Finally the father died. By some means the 
son, who was still living in a far off Indian home, obtained 
intelligence of his death , and came back to the settle- 
ment with an interpreter to get possession of his inheri- 
tance. He was taken to the farm where his father had 
lived and where he had been taken prisoner, but had 
no recollection of the premises, except a small pond of 
water near the house where he was playing when cap- 
tured. His mother recognized him in spite of his Indian 
garb and broad Indian tongue. She endeavored by 
maternal feelings, pecuniary considerations, and personal 
appeals, to induce him to remain and live with her 



THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 71 

during the few remaining years of her life. But so 
attached was he to his life in the wilderness that he 
refused to listen to any project of the kind. He ob- 
tained his share of his father's estate, bade his mother 
good bye, turned his back on everything that could con- 
duce to the enjoyment of civilized life, and was soon 
trudging away in the forest to his Indian home and 
bride. 

The contest between England and France that gave 
rise to such horrible atrocities as those recorded in this 
chapter, and which may be considered a fair sample of 
similar occurrences everywhere along the border of the 
American provinces, was finally ended by the triumph 
of the British Colonial armies; and the fall of Montreal 
and Quebec reduced the French Canadian possessions 
to complete submission to the authority of the British 
crown. 



CHAPTER VI. 

THE PLEDGE OP 1775 AND ITS SIGNERS. 

The conclusion of the old " French and Indian war " 
as it was termed, gave to the settlers a number of years 
of peace, excepting an occasional petty theft or outrage 
by a wandering party of Indians. The work of reclaim- 
ing the fertile land to a state of cultivation again went 
forward. The wives and children of the inhabitants 
ventured to return again to their old homes, from the 
distant villages whither they had fled to escape the 
Indian's hate. New comers began to flock to the fertile 
hills and vales of the Minisink Region and of western 
Orange, and prosperity again smiled upon the efforts of 
the hardy pioneer. 

But just at this time, when everything bid fair for a 
long season of quietness, the arbitrary acts of England, 
under whose banner they had faced death a thousand 
times in sanguinary struggles with the savage foe, or in 
fighting the French beneath the walls of Montreal and 
Quebec, began to arouse within their breasts a desire to 
be free. Instead of trying to allay this feeling of dis- 
content by measures calculated to satisfy the public 
mind, England each succeeding year appeared to be 
seeking new methods of taxation, and ag a consequence 
the desire for a release from her power became a neces- 
sity. This necessity was not long in manifesting its 



THE PLEDGE OP 1775 AND ITS SIGNERS. 78 

resistance to odious acts of the Crown by force. Or- 
ganized measures for defense were adopted by the prov- 
inces, and thus began the great Revolutionary struggle. 
The Continental Congress took possession of the affairs 
of the colonies, and began to direct the resisting forces. 
But it was soon found that many persons throughout the 
provinces were determined to sustain the British gov- 
ernment. Meetings were held in different places to 
give the new Congress proof of the people's approval 
of their acts. The principal of these was held in the city 
of New York on the 29th of April, 1775. 

Inorder to form a distinction between the friends of 
liberty and its foes, and to prevent anarchy as far as 
possible, it was resolved to form an association in each 
county throughout the thirteen Colonies. This was 
done by transmitting to each county a pledge which 
every friend of the new movement was expected to 
sign. This at once drew the dividing line between the 
Whigs and Tories. It embittered the feeling greatly 
between them, for those that refused to affix their names 
to it were marked men. All honor to the signers of 
that document ! Each name, if possible, should be ren- 
dered imperishable. Every one realizing the benefits of 
the glorious Temple of Liberty, of the mild and benefi- 
cent laws, and enduring principles of government reared 
by their efforts, should ever think of them with grati- 
tude. Their names are more worthy of immortality 
than those of Alexander or Caesar. Many of their de- 
scendants still reside in Orange county, and well may 
they point with pride to the glorious record their ances- 
tors have left behind them. The following is a copy of 
the pledge, taken from Eager's History: 

pledge of 1775. 

M Persuaded that the salvation of the rights and Ubei % 
I 



74 HISTORY Or THE MINISINK REGION. 

ties of America depend, under God, on the firm union of 
its inhabitants in a rigorous prosecution of the measures 
necessary for its safety; and convinced of the necessity 
of preventing anarchy and confusion, which attend the 
dissolution of the powers of government, we, the free- 
men, freeholders, and inhabitants of Orange County, 
New York, being greatly alarmed at the avowed design 
of the Ministry to raise a revenue in America, and, 
shocked by the bloody scene now acting in Massachusetts 
Bay, do, in the most solemn manner, resolve never to 
become slaves ; and do associate, under all the ties of 
religion, honor and love to our country, to adopt and 
endeavor to carry into execution whatever measures 
may be recommended by the Continental Congress or 
resolved upon by our Provincial Convention for the 
purpose of preserving our constitution and opposing the 
execution of the several arbitrary Acts of the British 
Parliament, until a reconciliation between Great Brit- 
tain and America on constitutional principles (which 
we most ardently desire,) can be obtained; and that we 
will in all things follow the advice of our general com- 
mittee respecting the purposes aforesaid, the preserva- 
tionof peace and good order, and the safety of individ- 
uals and property/' 

NAMES OF THE SIGNERS OF THE ABOVE, FROM THE PRESENT TOWN OF DEEF- 

PARK (THEN A PART OF THE TOWN OF MAMAKATING. 

ULSTER CO.,) JUNE 26, 1775. 

John Young, John Stufflebane, 

Philip Swartout, Esq.. John Stufflebane, Jr.. 

Benjamin Depue, James Blizard, 

Capt. John Crage, Thomas Combs, 

William Haxton, James McCivers, 

John McKinstry, Joseph Hubbard, 

Benj. Cuddeback, Jr., John Thompson, 

Robert Cook, Ebenezer Halcomb, 



THE PLEDGE OF 1775 AND ITS SIGNERS. 



id 



Harmanus Van Inwegen, 
T. K. Westbrook, 
William Rose, 
Samuel Depue, 
William Johnston, 
James Williams, 
Charles Gillets. 
Eli Strickland, 
David Gillaspy, 
Stephen Larney, 
Capt. J. R. Dewitt, 
Abr. Cuddeback, Jr.. 
Samuel King, 
Abna Skinner, 
Fred. Benaer, 
Valentine Wheeler, 
Thomas Kytte, 
Jonathan Brooks. 
John Wallis, 
Joseph Drake. 
Ebenezer Parks. 
Jacobus Swartout, 
Gerardus Swartout. 
Phil. Swartout, Jr., 
Isaac Van Twill, 
Joseph Westfork. 
Petrus Gumaer, 
J. DeWitt Gumaer, 
Daniel Van Fleet, Jr.. 
Bzekiel Gumore, 
Jacob Van Inaway, 
Moses Depue, Jr., 
Jacobus Cuddeback, 
Rufus Stanton. 



G. Van Inwegen, 
Wm. Cuddeback, 
Abr. Cuddeback, 
Eliphalet Stevens, 
Elisha Travis, 
Albert Rosa, 
Adam Rivenburg, 
Mathew Neely, 
Samuel Dealy, 
William Smith, 
John Harding, 
Nathan Cook, 
Jep. Fuller, 
Eph. Thomas, 
Henry Elsworth, 
Joseph Thomas. 
Abr. M'Quin, 
John Seybolt. 
Joseph Skinner, 
Joseph Arthur, 
David Wheeler, 
John Travis, 
John Travis, Jr., 
Daniel Decker, 
Petrus Cuddeback. 
Elias Gumore, 
John Brooks, 
Elisha Barber, 
Jonathan Davis, 
Robert Comfort. 
David Daly, 
Gershom Simpson T 
Eph. Forgisson, 
Jacob Comfort, 



76 



HISTORY OF THE MINISINK REGION. 



Reuben Babbett, 
Jonathan Wheeler. 
Asa Kimball, 
Robert Milliken, 
Thomas Lake, 
Zeh. Holcomb, 
John Williams, 
John Stry, 
Joel Adams, 
Joseph Shaw, 
George G-illaspy. 
James Cumen, 
Abraham Rosa, 
Jacob Rosa, 
Henry Newkirk, 
Peter Simpson, 
Stephen Holcomb, 
Johannes Miller, 
Daniel Wood worth, 
Moses Roberts, 
Daniel Roberts, 
John Douglass, 
Joseph Randall, 

NAMES OF THE SIGNERS FROM THE 
INTO MINISINK, MOUNT HOPE, 

J. Westbrook, Jr., 
Wilhelmus Westfall, 
Johannes Decker, Jr., 
Benjamin Cox, 
Moses Cortright, 
Jacob Quick, 
John Prys, 
Jacobus Harraken, 
Timothy Wood, 



Jacob Stanton. 
Moses Miller, 
Jonah Parks, 
John Gillaspy, 
Jno. Barber, 
Samuel Patterson. 
Abraham Smedes. 
Nathaniel Travis, 
Ezekiel Travis, 
Joseph Travis, 
Thos. Gillaspy, 
Jeremiah Shaver. 
Joseph Ogden, 
Daniel Walling, 
Daniel Walling, Jr., 
Elias Miller, 
Isaac Roosa. 
Abr. Smith, 
George G. Dennistom 
Mathew Terwilleger, 
Leonard Hefinessy, 
Jonathan Strickland. 
Johannes Wash. 

OLD TOWN OF MINISINK, (NOW DIVIDED 
WA WAY AND A AND GREENVILLE.) 

Nicholas Slyter, 
James Carpenter, 
Reuben Jones, 
Daniel St. John, 
Esee Bronson, 
Petrus Cole, 
Aldert Osterhoudt. 
Isaac Uptegrove, 
A. Van Etten, 



THE PLEDGE OF 1775 AND ITS SIGNERS. 



77 



Benjamin Wood, 
Levi Decker. 
G. Braddock, 
Samuel Davis, 
Martinas Decker, 
Petrus Cuykendal, 
Isaac Davis, 
Benjamin Boorman, 
Sylvester Cortright, 
George Quick, 
Nehemiah Patterson, 
Jacobus Schoonhoven 
Jacobus Davis, 
Asa Astley, 
Benjamin Corsan, 
Martinas Decker, Jr., 
Ephraim Middaugh. 



Johannes Westbrook. 
Solomon Cuykendal, 
John Bennet, 
Simon Westfall, 
Arthur Van Tile, 
Jacobus Vanfliet, Jr., 
Jacobus Vanfliet, 
Wilhelmus Cole, 
Thomas Hart, 
Levi Van Etten, 
Petrus Decker, 
John Van Tuyle, 
Daniel Cole, 
S. Cuykendal, Jr., 
Daniel Kortright. 
Joel Westbrook, */ 



A. C. Van Akin. 

The names of those who did not sign the pledge are 
not recorded, and it is as well that they should be suf- 
fered to rest in oblivion; for mankind at the present day 
can form but very imperfect decisions on the motives 
which may have influenced the actions of men a hun- 
dred years ago. The number of non-signers, or Tories, 
as they were called, was far greater in the eastern than 
in the western part of Orange county. The present 
town of Deerpark (then a part of Mamakating, Ulster 
county,) was unanimous in support of the measure; John 
Young, chairman of the committee, reporting it to have 
been signed by every householder within the limits of 
the town. 



CHAPTER VII. 

INDIAN DEPREDATIONS. 

The commencement of the Revolutionary struggle at 
once opened to the view of the colonists the magnitude 
of the great undertaking upon which they had entered. 
They saw that in addition to the armies and munitions 
of war it would be necessary to oppose to the power and 
discipline of Great Britain, that an enemy lurked upon 
their own soil that required full as much energy and 
watchfulness to circumvent as the troopers of old King- 
George. They saw many of their neighbors openly 
espouse the cause of royalty, some of whom departed at 
once and sought a place in the ranks of the king's myr- 
midons as open foes, while others, less honorable, 
remained behind to furnish information to the invaders 
of their country, and to stimulate the scattering Indians 
to deeds of atrocity against their former friends that 
have sullied the otherwise fair page of American his- 
tory, and associated the names of the Indian and Tory 
with the blackest scenes of horror and cruelty that the 
world has ever seen. The eastern part of Orange 
county was more infected with Tory principles than the 
western; and it was fortunate that it was so, for the 
mountain ravines and straggling Indian parties that in- 
fested them in the Minisink Region, furnished the mate- 



fNMAN DSPBSdATIOHS. «® 

rial which, with a little more Royalist help, would have 
turned the settlement into barren ruins, and which as it 
was, made it the theatre of the bloodiest acts of the war. 
The Indians, during the struggles that had taken place 
previously, had imbibed a hatred of the whites that 
required but a few presents and assurances of help to 
at once enlist on the Royalist's side against the rebels. 
This they did in violation of a treaty which General 
Schuyler on the part of Congress had concluded with 
the Six Nations of western New York, in July, 1775, by 
which they were to observe strict neutrality between 
the Americans and British. This, however, was opposed 
to Indian philosophy; and it was not long before the 
British induced them to break their pledges. At first 
the Indians singled out persons as the objects of attack 
against whom they had some particular animosity or 
whom they feared; but during the progress of the war 
they collected together in large bodies, and in conjunc- 
tion with the Tories carried on a more wholesale scheme 
of murder. The father of the famous Tom Quick fell a 
victim to Indian ferocity in the south of the Minisink 
Region, during the old French war, and the circumstan- 
ces of his death aroused such a feeling of animosity 
against the Indians in the breast of Tom Quick, that 
lie determined to devote his whole life to purposes of 
revenge. He led a sort of wandering life, intent on one 
single object — the killing of every Indian that came in 
his way, and so well did he fulfill his pledge, that to 
this day the name of "Tom Quick, the Indian slayer," 
is a household word in the vicinity of the Minisink Re- 
gion. He was never married. The history of his ex- 
ploits now forms the subject of a volume, greatly inter- 
esting to those who delight to review the light and 
dark scenes of pioneer life a hundred years ago. His 



80 HISTORY 0? THE MINISIKK REGION. 

greatest exploits took place during and after the Revolu- 
tion. 

The grandfather of Mr. Nathaniel R. Quick, at pres- 
ent a resident of the town of Greenville, was also much 
feared by the Indians. On one occasion they laid an 
ambush for him in a desolate part of the path leading 
to his house. He had been out hunting, and when he 
was returning he was suddenly surprised as he came 
near this place by seeing an Indian spring into the path 
ahead of him. The Indian at the same instant brought 
his rifle to his shoulder and fired at him; but being in too 
great a hurry fortunately missed him, though the bullet 
passed alarmingly close to his head. Seeing but one 
Indian he immediately shot him. At the same moment 
another bullet whistled by his shoulders, and finding it 
to be getting dangerous he at once darted off on a race 
for life. The Indians pursued him some distance and 
fired at him several times. One bullet struck him in 
the side, inflicting a severe flesh wound, but otherwise 
he escaped unhurt. 

In 1777 they attacked the family of a Mr. Sprague, a 
resident of the northern part of the settlement, and took 
some of them prisoners. 

The family of a Mr. Brooks was next attacked, and 
several killed. The rest were taken prisoners. 

These deeds awoke the Minisink people to a sense of 
their situation. Many of their bravest men were absent 
doing duty in distant parts of the State as soldiers. 
Capt. Cuddeback, Gerardus Swartout, Cornelius Swart- 
out and Gerardus Van Inwegen, on whose exertions 
they had formerly chiefly relied for protection, had 
been on service at Fort Montgomery, and were there 
when it was captured by the British, Oct. 6, 1777. At 
the time of the attack, Capt. Cuddeback was sent across 



INDIAN DEPREDATIONS. . 81 

the Hudson with a party of men to prevent the British 
from cutting the chain which was stretched across the 
river opposite the fort. Thus he escaped being in the 
battle. Van Inwegen and the Swartouts remained in 
the fort. The Swartouts escaped during the surrender 
of the fort, but Van Inwegen was killed in the assault. 
The absence of these men was severely felt by the peo- 
ple of Minisink, but they bravely determined to prove 
themselves possessed of the same spirit. In 1778 a 
committee of safety was appointed for the settlement. 
The first committee was Benjamin DuPuy, Philip Swart- 
but and Thomas Kytte. Harmanus Van Inwegen was 
admitted as a member afterwards. They at once ordered 
the erection or repairing of the forts at the houses of 
Jacob Rutson DeWitt, Benjamin DuPuy and Ezekiel 
Gumaer, in the Peenpack neighborhood; one at the 
house of Maj. John Decker, and one at the house of Dan- 
iel Van Auken in the lower neighborhood. They also 
sent many women and children to the older settlements, 
as the forts could not accommodate the whole fifty fam- 
ilies which at that time inhabited what is now the town 
of Deerpark. Scouting parties were also instituted 
under command of Capt. Bezaliel Tyler, who scouted 
the woods as far west as Cochecton, where a few fami- 
lies resided. Persons suspected of aiding the Indians 
were imprisoned or banished from the region. Through 
their intercession small parties of nine months militia 
were obtained to garrison the forts. These prepara- 
tions were hardly fairly begun before their wisdom and 
propriety became apparent by the 

MASSACRE OF WYOMING. 

Wyoming was the name of a pleasant settlement on 
both sides of the Susquehanna river in the northern 



82 HISTORY OP THE MINISINK REGION. 

part of Pennsylvania. The fertility of its soil and its 
beautiful location in the midst of a smiling valley, invi- 
ted hundreds from different parts of Orange and Ulster 
counties and the Minisink Region, to -take up a residence 
within its limits. No where else had they found so de- 
sirable a spot for a home as on the banks of the noble 
Susquehanna in that quiet valley. No settlement had 
been so prosperous, and in 1778 it numbered a popula- 
tion of eleven hundred families. They were partrioti(* 
too, those settlers of Wyoming, for at roll-call in the 
morning ten hundred of their sons, and brothers, and 
husbands, answered to their names in the Continental 
army. No wonder was it that this feeling should induce 
them to treat rather harshly the few Tories in their 
midst whom they saw plotting with the Indians against 
their friends in the army. The Tories had long sought 
for an opportunity of open rupture, and they now allied 
themselves with the Indians and swore revenge. Their 
time was favorable, for the flower of the Wyoming- 
youth were in the American army. The settlers, 
aware of their insecurity, erected four forts upon dif- 
ferent points of the settlement, among which they dis- 
tributed about five hundred men; the whole under 
command of Colonel Zebulon Butler, a cousin of John, 
the celebrated Tory. (Zebulon was afterward accused 
of treachery, but capacity was undoubtedly what he 
most stood in need of.) This done, the settlers wrote 
to Washington praying for immediate assistance, for a 
presentiment of their approaching fate seemed to per- 
vade their minds in spite of the assurances of friendship 
which the Indians were continually pouring into their 
ears. Their messages were intercepted by the Penn- 
sylvania loyalists, but at all events they would have 
been too late. The savages had already appeared upon 



INDIAN DEPREDATIONS. 83 

tke frontiers of the-settleinent, and the cruelties they 
were perpetrating were frightful; the mournful prelude 
to those more terrible scenes which were shortly to 
follow. 

About the commencement of the month of July, the 
Indians suddenly appeared in strong force upon the 
banks of the Susquehanna. They numbered about 1,600 
men, from four to six hundred of them pure Indians, and 
the rest Tories disguised and painted to resemble them. 
They were commanded by Col. Brandt, a half-breed, 
and John Butler ; both renowned for their ferocity in 
previous expeditions. One of the forts, nearest the 
border, surrendered at the first approach of the enemy, 
owing to treachery in the garrison. The next fort was 
defended successfully for a time, but the enemy assaulted 
it so vigorously that the garrison was finally forced to 
surrender at discretion. The victors spared the women 
and children, but the rest were butchered without 
mercy. Zebulon then withdrew with his forces into 
the principal fort, called Kingston. Upon this fortifica- 
tion the settlers had placed their main reliance, being the 
largest and strongest of the four. All who were unable to 
bear arms — the sick, women and children, and old men — 
repaired thither in throngs, weeping and uttering des- 
pairing erics, as the last place of refuge which could be 
defended with any hope of success. On came the long 
irregular line of the enemy, shouting and yelling like so 
many demons. Zebulon disposed of the troops in the 
garrison to the best advantage possible and awaited the 
corning foe. It was evident the settlers had it in their 
power if attacked to make the assaulting party pay 
dearly for their temerity. Brandt saw this, and com- 
manded his forces to halt before coming within gunshot. 
The cunning half-breed then sent John Butler to hold a 



84 HISTORY OF THE MINISINK REGIOH. 

parley with his cousin Zebulon, hoping that the ties of 
relationship might lead Zebulon to place confidence in 
the artful story of the Tory. Nor was he mistaken. 
John was lavish of promises, and succeeded in making 
Zebulon believe that if he would consent to a parley in 
the open field the matter could easily be settled and the 
siege raised. The next morning, in accordance with 
his pledge, John Butler had retired with his forces, and 
the settlers looked from the walls of the fort over the 
valley without seeing an Indian. This was a gladsome 
relief, and they at once proceeded to fulfill their part of 
the agreement. The place appointed for the conference 
w T as some distance from the fort, and thither Zebulon 
proceeded, taking with him, as a precaution, 400 men 
well armed, comprising the main strength of the garri- 
son. Not a living creature was found on the spot agreed 
on, and Zebulon, anxious for an interview, advanced 
farther from the. fort toward the foot of the mountain. 
As he proceeded onward the solitude grew more dismal 
and the absence of human beings more remarkable. 
But as if urged onward by an irresistible destiny, he 
still continued his forward march. The country began 
to be overshaded by the dense forests, and the tall oaks 
to twine their branches high in air across the path ; 
but fate still impelled him to go on. Just then a flag 
was discovered in the path some distance ahead that 
seemed to wave him on. The individual who bore it 
appeared as if afraid of treachery from his side, and 
retired as he advanced, still making the same signals. 
He pressed forward still faster in order to assure the 
traitors that he would not betray them. But the 
unfortunate Americans had been already betrayed 
instead, Taking advantage of the dense thickets, 
Brandt's forces had completely surrounded them, and 



INDIAN DEPREDATIONS. 85 

their fancied dream of security was suddenly broken in 
upon by the terrible war-whoop as hundreds of savages 
sprang from their ambush, and with hideous yells 
attacked the devoted band from every side. In the 
midst of the confusion that ensued, Zebulon displayed 
more courage than would have been thought possible 
considering the simplicity of his previous proceedings. 
He formed his men into a hollow square, and the fierce 
onset of the savages was met with such a determined 
volley, as to at once check them. Though surprised, 
the Americans acted with such vigor and resolution 
that they quickly had the advantage on their side ; but 
just then a soldier, either through cowardice or treach- 
ery, cried out, " The Colonel has ordered a retreat.'' 
The soldiers at once gave way. and the Indians with 
terrible yells leaped in among the ranks. A horrible 
carnage ensued. Those who ran, fell by the pursuing 
bullet— those who resisted, by the knife, club, or toma- 
hawk. The dead, dying, wounded and struggling, 
friends and foes — were heaped together promiscuously, 
while from the mass arose shrieks of agony and yells of 
victory, supplications for mercy and threats of vengeance 
such as had never before been dreamed of in that 
hitherto happy valley. Happy were those who died 
the soonest ! The savages reserved their captives for 
more cruel tortures, while the Tories, more bloodthirsty 
still, actually tore the faces of the prisoners with their 
finger-nails. Never was rout so deplorable. Only 
about sixty of the four hundred escaped the butchery, 
and these, with Zebulon, made their way to a redout on 
the other bank of the Susquehanna. 

The victors immediately invested Fort Kingston anew, 
and to terrify the remainder of the garrison they hurled 
over the walls about two hundred scalps still dripping 



86 HISTORY OF THE MINIS1NK REGION. 

with the blood of their murdered brethren. Seeing 
the impossibility of defense. Col. Dennison, who com- 
manded the fort, sent a flag to John Butler to inquire 
what terms would be allowed the garrison if they 
should surrender the fort. He returned as an answer — 
- 1 The hatchet !" In this dreadful extremity, the Colonel 
made what resistance he could, and fought bravely till 
his soldiers were nearly all killed, when he was forced 
to surrender at discretion. The savages entered the 
fort and began to drag out the vanquished, who, know- 
ing what hands they were in, expected no mercy, found 
none, and met their fate without a cry. Becoming tired 
of killing in detail, the savages bethought themselves oi 
a new expedient. They enclosed the men, women and 
children in the houses and barracks, set them on fire, 
and consumed all within — listening with delight to the 
moans and shrieks, and dancing with hellish glee at the 
occasional glimpses they caught of the death struggles 
of the expiring multitude. 

One more fort, that of Wilkesbarre, still remained in the 
hands of the colonists of Wyoming. This the victors 
next presented themselves before and demanded its 
surrender. Those within, hoping to find mercy if they 
made no resistance, surrendered at discretion. But if 
opposition exasperated these insatiable tigers for human 
blood, submission did not soften them. The soldiers of 
the garrison were first put to death by means of tor- 
tures such as onlv barbarity could devise. Then the 
men, women, and children were shut up in the houses 
as before, fire was applied, and that unfeeling element 
soon stilled their cries with death, and left nought but 
ashes to mark their mortal remains. 

Capt. Bedlock, of Fort Wilkesbarre, was stripped 
naked and his body stuck full of sharp pine splinters : a 



INDIAN DEPREDATIONS. 87 

heap of the same material was then piled around him 
and set on fire. His two associates, Captains Ransom 
and Durgee, were then thrown alive into the flames, 
and all perished together. 

One Tory, whose mother had married a second hus- 
band, butchered her with his own hand, and afterwards 
massacred his father-in-law, his sisters, and their 
infants in the cradle. Another killed his father and 
exterminated all his family. A third imbrued his hands 
in the blood of his brothers, his sisters, his brother-in- 
law and his father-in-law. " These, 7 ' sa}~s Eastman, 
" were a part only of the horrors perpetrated by 
the loyalists and Indians at the excision of Wyoming. 
Other atrocities, if possible still more abominable, 
we leave in silence." 

The forts being in their hands, they next proceeded 
to the devastation of the country. In doing this they 
called into requisition at once fire, sword, and all instru- 
ments of destruction. The crops of every description 
were consigned to the flames. Habitations, granaries, 
and buildings, the fruits of years of toil and industry, 
sank into barren ruins in the track of these fell demons. 
'• But," says Eastman, "who will believe that their fury, 
not yet satiated upon human creatures, was also 
wreaked upon the very beasts? That they cut out the 
tongues of horses and cattle, and left them to wander in 
the midst of those fields, lately so luxuriant, and now 
in desolation, seeming to enjoy the torments of their 
lingering death ?" 

Many women and children had escaped while the 
foe was busy dispatching their husbands and fathers. 
These were no less worthy of commiseration than those 
who had died. Dispersed and wandering in the forests 
as chance or fear directed their footsteps, without food, 



38 HISTORY OP THE MINISINK REGION. 

without clothes, without guide, these defenseless fugi- 
tives suffered every degree of distress. The most 
robust and resolute alone escaped ; the others perished, 
and their bodies, with those of their hapless infants, 
became the prey of wild beasts. 

The father of the late Dr. Merit H. Cash, of Waway- 
anda, was among those who escaped this massacre. He 
was at that time a very small boy, and his mother led 
him by the hand through the wilderness for days, sub- 
sisting entirely upon the berries, &c, which they found 
on their way, till they were at last fortunate enough to 
reach the Minisink settlement. 

Benjamin Whittaker, with his daughter, also escaped. 
They had removed to Wyoming but about three years 
before, having previously resided on the farm now 
owned by Mr. William H. Mead, near Brookfield, in the 
present town of Wawayanda. They were in the fort at 
Wyoming when it surrendered, and were both saved. 
Brandt took her by the hair of the head with one hand 
and painted her face with red paint with the other, 
telling her that that was the mark of safety. She after- 
wards married William Fullerton, Jr., whose descend- 
ants were formerly large property owners in Waway- 
anda, and are generally known throughout Orange 
county. (Eager's History, p. 414.) 

At the capture of the same fort, when the Indians 
came flocking in, the settlers threw down their arms, 
and with the women and children huddled in one corner 
expecting instant death. A little lad named John 
Finch, amused at the odd appearance of the Indians, 
laughed at them. One of them raised his tomahawk to 
strike him down, but Brandt interfered and ordered 
him to let the boy go. He afterwards found his way 
to Minisink. Many of his relatives for a long time 



INDIAN DEPREDATIONS. 89 

resided in the town of Mount Hope, and the village of 
Finchville is named after them. 

A lady named Christina Wood was in one of the forts 
of Wyoming with her husband and family. Her hus- 
band and son were killed, and she was approached by 
an Indian with an uplifted tomahawk. She had an 
infant in her arms, and when the little innocent saw the 
savage approach it looked up into his face and smiled. 
The savage made a motion as if to make the child the 
first victim, seeing which the mother held it closer to 
her bosom. He gazed upon them for a moment, but 
the smile of innocence had touched his heart — the 
tomahawk fell by his side harmless, and he walked 
away and left them. She escaped, and found her way 
to Goshen with her child, where she afterwards died at 
the age of eighty-five. A survivor of the massacre, 
Asa A. Gore, died at Preston, Connecticut, January, 1850, 
aged eighty-one years and five months. His mother 
was one of those who escaped, and she carried him in 
her arms through the woods to Minisink. 

Mrs. John Weeden, supposed to be the last survivor 
of the massacre, died in Columbia, Lorain county, Ohio, 
on Friday, April 13th, 1860, aged ninety-three years. 
Her maiden name was Martin. She and her father, 
mother and sister, escaped, and with a flag of truce 
traveled through the forest to within forty miles of the 
Connecticut river, where her older brother met them 
and then took them to Colchester. She was twelve 
years old at the time; was born in 1766, and married in 
1798. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

first and second invasions of the minisink region by 
brandt's Indians and tories. 

On the 13th of October (1778) succeeding the Wyo- 
ming Massacre, a band of about one hundred Indians 
and Tories, under command of Brandt, invaded the 
upper, or Peenpack, neighborhood. It is needless to 
say that their appearance was the signal for a general 
panic, so fearful had been their atrocities at Wyoming 
and Cherry Valley, which latter place had been deso- 
lated by them shortly after the former. They surprised 
the family of a Mr. Westfall, among the first of their 
acts in Peenpack, and killed the only man that was at 
home at the time. Mr. Thomas Swartout and his four 
sons, thinking that perhaps the invaders were few in 
number, and more intent on plunder than actual war, 
resolved to defend their own house. The women were 
sent to the fort at Gumaer's, and the house firmly barri- 
caded. But when the enemy appeared, their number 
at once convinced the little band of Spartans of the 
futility of defense. They fired a few times at the foe, 
but seeing their chances of retreat would soon be cut 
off, they resolved to endeavor to escape. Accordingly 
they all started and ran in the direction of the fort ; but 
a bullet pierced the skull of one of the young men before 
they reached the shelter of the barn. One of the sons 



BRACT'S rKtASlOK, 91 

separated from the others and ran toward the Never- 
sink river, a half mile off. He was pursued by a 
detachment of the Indians, and shot while swimming 
the river, near the opposite shore. The old man and 
his two other sons kept together, and ran on as fast as 
they were able toward the fort. It soon became appar- 
ent to them that their efforts would be all in vain, as 
they were destined to be overtaken. The old man 
paused. "James," said he to one of his sons, "you are 
young and active and can save yourself. If you stay to 
assist me we shall all be killed. Save yourself while 
you can !" The young man took his father's advice, and 
started on with increased speed. The other son kept 
by the side of his father, and both were soon overtaken 
and tomahawked. James was closely pursued for over 
half a mile through brush and briers, over fences and 
across lots, till he at last reached the fort at Gumaer's. 
and the enemy had to abandon the chase. 

The continued firing warned the inhabitants of the 
country of the approaching danger, and they at one© 
repaired to the forts at Gumaer's and De Witt's, aban- 
doning that at Du Puy's, as they had no troops to 
garrison it. The fort at Gumaer's had only nine regu- 
lars to defend it, and wa~s but a small picket fort at best. 
Capt. Cuddeback, who commanded it, was aware of the 
influence display oftentimes made on the Indian mind, 
and he resolved to profit by it. He ordered all the men 
and women, both young and old, to the rear of the fort. 
Next he had all the spare guns and sticks that could be 
found, together with all the old hats, coats and breeches, 
brought forward. The guns and sticks were placed in 
the hands of those who were unarmed, and the old 
clothes were used to change the appearance of the 
women. Many a blushing damsel, who two days before 



92 HISTORY OP THE MINISINK REGION. 

would have scorned the idea of her ever wearing male 
attire, made her appearance that day in a cocked hat 
and ragged coat and vest, with her dainty limbs clad in 
a faded pair of homespun breeches ; and many a staid 
matron was that day apparently transformed into a 
dignified Continental soldier, with a blue coat and brass 
buttons. When the enemy came in sight the Captain 
ordered the drums to beat, and placing himself at the 
head of his forces, marched them in Indian file around 
to the front of the fort and entered it, giving the 
Indians a distant, distinct, and consequently enlarged 
view of the garrison. This done, the women and 
children were ordered into the cellar as they could be 
of no further use ; but an elderly lady, Anna Swartout, 
the widow of James Swartout, Sr., refused to go, telling 
the Captain that she would take a pitchfork with which 
she had just marched in the fort, and remain with the 
men. Her request was granted, and she walked about 
with the fork in true military bearing, anxiously watch- 
ing the movements of the enemy, and ready to give 
them a taste of woman's courage should any of them 
attempt to enter. The Indians halted before coming 
within gunshot. The fort was situated on an open 
plain, and they knew the settlers to be good marksmen. 
Besides, they evidently supposed the garrison to have 
been reinforced, from the number of soldiers they had 
seen. After a few shots were exchanged without effect 
upon either side, they passed by, and the fort was 
saved by Capt. Cuddeback's strategem. 

Brandt's forces then proceeded to Fort DeWitt. 
Here they stationed themselves on a hill which was 
covered with woods near the fort, and remained some 
time, firing occasionally as they obtained a view of the 
garrison, but without effect, if we except the killing of 



brandt's invasion. 93 

Captain Newkirk's horse by a stray bullet. They then 
retreated toward the west the same day, after having 
burned all the houses, barns, &c, they found in their 
course; a circumstance that after wards distressed the 
inhabitants much for the want of hay, grain and articles 
of furniture. And thus ended Brandt's first invasion of 
the Minisink Region. DuPuy and one or two others 
had sent their wives and children to Major Phillips', at 
Phillipsburg, (a small village in the eastern part of what 
is now the town of Wawayanda,) for safety. The dan- 
ger of the Minisink people thus became known, and 
Major Phillips arrived at Fort Gumaer the day after the 
invasion, with a company of militia. But the spoilers 
had departed, and pursuit was useless. Several women 
and children were sent for protection to Mr. James 
Finch's, where Finchville now stands, in the. south-wes- 
tern part of the town of Mount Hope. 

This invasion thoroughly aroused the inhabitants to a 
sense of their exposed situation, and the members of 
the committee of safety immediately took steps to 
increase the defensive powers of the settlement. The 
forts were repaired as well as the limited number of the 
garrison would permit, and an application was at once 
made to the general government for help. Their peti- 
tion was acted upon without delay, and the brave Count 
Pulaski, with a battalion of cavalry, sent to their assis- 
tance. The presence of these veterans inspired the 
settlers with new courage. Many of them brought their 
families back and proceeded to refit their homes and 
recommence clearing their lands. The winter glided 
away without any signs of the savage foe, and they 
began to hope that their share of the turmoils of war 
was at an end. 

In February, (1779,) deeming their presence no longer 



$4 HISTORY OF THE MINISINK REGION, 

necessary, Count Pulaski and his men were ordered to 
South Carolina. They left their winter quarters with 
regret; for their stay, though short, had been a pleasant 
one. The inhabitants too regretted the parting, for be- 
sides the respect they felt for Pulaski and his troops, 
they foresaw themselves left in a defenseless condition. 
Some time however elapsed after the departure, and they 
were not disturbed. The spring almost imperceptibly 
melted into summer. The birds returned from their 
southern homes, and again cheered the laborers by the 
noisy Neversink and sparkling Delaware with their 
songs. Prosperity reigned supreme, and Minisink 
seemed destined after all for a favored region. But 
alas ! it was only the calm that precedes the storm. Even 
as we have sometimes seen a cloudless summer day ter- 
minate in a mingled tornado of wind, lightning and rain 
— just so was the serenity of the settlement of Minisink 
broken, on the 20th of July, 1779, by Brandt and his 
band of Tories and Indians. Just before davlight on 
that morning they surprised the fort at Major Decker's. 
The men had departed for their work pretty early, and 
the only occupants of the house were two negro boys; 
the women having gone the day before to Fort Gumaer. 
The negroes were made prisoners, and the Indians then 
searched the premises for plunder. Some liquor was 
found, and the party was disposed to make a carousal 
of it; but Brandt quickly stopped it by destroying the 
liquor. A tavern had been kept for years before the 
war at this place. Fire was then applied to the build- 
ings, and the invaders departed for the dwelling of 
Anthony Van Etten. 

James Swartout, who escaped so narrowly from the 
Indians in the first invasion, had just entered a black- 
smith shop kept by a negro at Mr, Tan Etten's, when 



Brandt's invasion. 95 

he saw the Indians coming. No other place for secre- 
tion presenting itself, he crept up the chimney. The 
negro remained in the shop, knowing the Indians sel- 
dom injured a person of color. The Indians entered, 
and seeing no one but the negro, began throwing the 
tools around as if for sport. One of them took hold of 
the handle of the bellows and began to blow the fire 
furiously. The negro, knowing the effect that the heat 
and smoke would have on his friend in the chimney, 
told the Indian he would spoil that thing if he did not 
stop. He good naturedly ceased, and soon after with 
his companions left the shop. Swartout came down 
almost choked with smoke and dust, and nearly exhaust- 
ed with the effort needed to keep his position for so 
long a time. (Eager's History, p. 338.) While the 
enemy was busy burning Van Etten's buildings, he es- 
caped. 

One detachment of Indians went to the house of Jas. 
Van Yliet. The inmates discovered them approaching 
and fled. A man named Roolif Cuddeback was there at 
the time, and ran toward the woods in a different direc- 
tion from the others. The foremost Indian, some dis- 
tance in advance of his companions, at once started in 
pursuit. Cuddeback, finding that he would be overta- 
ken, and that but one Indian was following him, sud- 
denly turned and faced him. The Indian threw his 
tomahawk at him, but it struck a bush and he dodged 
it. They then grasped in a hand-to-hand struggle — 
both unarmed except a knife which the Indian had in 
his belt. For this fatal instrument they both struggled. 
At last it fell to the ground, and neither could stoop to 
pick it up with safety. The contest lasted till both 
were nearly exhausted. Cuddeback afterwards said 
that he was more than a match for the Indian, but the 



96 HISTORY OF THE MINI31NK REGION. 

latter became naked, and his skin was so slippery with 
grease and sweat that he could get no hold of him. 
Finally the Indian broke away from him, and ran off in 
the woods. It was reported afterwards that the Indian 
died in a few years of injuries received in this encounter. 
The father of this Indian was shot while crossing the 
river on horseback, by Capt. Cuddeback, a brother of 
James. (Eager's History, p. 389.) 

Another party of the Indians set fire to a number of 
buildings near Carpenter's Point; among others, to the 
old Machackemeck church. Many of the inhabitants on 
this morning had gone to attend a funeral. The first 
intimation of danger they had was an alarm of " Indi- 
ans;" and on rushing to the open air the smoke and 
flames of burning houses were seen rising among the 
trees in every direction. The very name of Brandt 
caused man} T a cheek to blanch with fear. Some of the 
assemblage at once started for the settlements on the 
east side of the Shawangunk mountain. The others fled 
to the different forts. The Indians met Major Decker, 
who was on horseback. They shot at, and wounded 
him, but he put spurs to his horse and escaped. 

At the Van Auken fort, the Indians fired a volley, 
killing one of the garrison. An Indian then undertook 
to creep up to one of the buildings to set it on fire, but 
was detected in the act and shot. 

At the same time a party of Indians, says Eager, vis- 
ited the school house, and threatened to exterminate 
one generation of the settlement at a blow. Here an 
incident took place, proving that the great Indian leader 
was possessed of human feelings, despite his ferocity. 
The teacher, Jeremiah Van Auken, was led about a half 
a mile from the school house and killed. Some of the 
boys were slain by the tomahawk, and the rest fled to 



BRANDT'S INVASION. 97 

the woods j while the little girls, bewildered with hor- 
ror, gathered around the dead body of their teacher and 
gazed in speechless fright at the terrible scene. A mo- 
ment more and the attention of the savages would be 
directed from the boys to them. In this dread emer- 
gency, a tall, powerful Indian came along, and with a 
brush hurriedly dashed some black paint on their aprons, 
telling them to " Hold up the mark when they saw an 
Indian coming, and it would save them; 77 then with a 
yell or warwhoop he disappeared in the woods. The 
tall Indian was none other than Brandt, and the children 
were safe. When the girls saw the Indians coming they 
held up their aprons with the black mark, and were not 
disturbed. An idea suggested itself to them, and with 
woman's wit they quickly adopted it. The boys were 
called from their hiding places, and the girls pressed 
the black mark upon their outer garments. It left a 
distinct impression, and this the bo} 7 s held to view when 
the Indians passed, with a like happy effect. 

Mrs. Sarah Van Auken did not succeed in getting 
within the protection of the fort, and saved her life by 
creeping into an old ditch. (Eager 's History, p. 390.) 

During this incursion the Indians and Tories burned 
everything that came in their way — houses, barns, 
granaries and goods — in short, all that the flames could 
destroy. Those of the inhabitants who could not get 
to the forts in time to escape the fury of the savages, 
fled through the forest to Goshen, and the settlements 
east of the Shawangunk. 

Benjamin Whittaker and family, who after their 
escape from the Wyoming Massacre, had settled on the 
Delaware, were again forced to flee for safety. His 
daughter Mary, according to Eager, hid herself among 
the straw in an old potato bole and thus escaped, though 
5 



98 HISTORT OF THE MINISINK REGION. 

the Indians came searching for her, and stood on the 
boards, so near her that she could have touched their 
feet with her hands. 

Major Decker's wife escaped through the woods to 
Mr. James Finch's, the present site of Finchville, where 
she came leading her small children by the hand, with 
hardly clothes enough to cover their backs, and weeping 
piteously. The only article she saved of her household 
goods was a small bible which she carried under her 

arm. 

The enemy after completing the work of destruction 
and plunder fell back slowly on their line of retreat. 
They were confident that in point of numbers the set- 
tlers could not bring a force to compete with them 
under a week or ten days ; their own force numbering, 
according to Dr. Wilson, three hundred Indian warriors 
and two hundred Tories painted to resemble Indians. 
Other accounts place their numbers at one hundred and 
eighty, and one or two as low as one hundred and sixty. 
Be this as it may, they were sufficiently confident to 
proceed leisurley on their return, and on the evening of 
the 21st encamped at Half-way Brook. 



CHAPTER IX. 

THE BATTLE OF MINISINK. 

Intelligence of the ravages of Brandt's band of sava- 
ges was brought to Goshen on the evening of the 20th. 
the same day of their invasion. The public mind was 
greatly excited by the tidings. At the reports of their 
barbarous murders, which were doubtless much exag- 
gerated by the panic stricken fugitives, work of all 
kinds was abandoned and the men gathered together in 
groups, each proposing plans for punishing the enenry, 
which were as absurd as impracticable. The children 
left their play and listened eagerly to the fearful tales 
told by older persons of the doings of the foe, while 
many a matron's face blanched with terror at the name 
of Brandt, whose ferocities at Wyoming and Cherry 
Valley were still fresh in their memory. One man 
amidst the confusion acted with promptness and 
decision. This was Col. Benjamin Tusten, commander 
of the local militia in the Goshen neighborhood. He 
at once dispatched messengers to the officers of his 
regiment, with orders to rendezvous at the " lower 
neighborhood" in Minisink the next morning, with as 
many volunteers as they could raise. Word was also 
sent to Col. Hathorn, commander of the Warwick regi- 
ment of militia, to meet him at the same place. We 
may well suppose that many a volunteer passed a 



100 HISTORY OF THE MINISINK RIGIOJf. 

sleepless night in common with the affrighted families 
of Groshen, on that momentous night of the 20th of 
July, 1779. The dawn of the next morning witnessed 
the departure of many of the bravest citizens east of 
the Shawangunk mountain, numbers of them heads of 
families, eager to revenge the massacre of their friends 
by coping with the dreaded foe, but little aware that 
the direful visions of disaster and woe that had flitted 
before their wakeful eyes during the long hours of the 
previous night were soon to be realized ; little aware 
that the tearful " good-bye" of the dear ones at home, 
was a farewell that would last till they met beyond the 
veil that conceals the confines of eternity from our view. 

" Ah! then and there was hurrying to and fro, 

And gathering tears, and tremblings of distress, 
And cheeks all pale, which but an hour ago 

Blush'd at the praise of their own loveliness ; 
And there were sudden partings, such as press 

The life from out young hearts, and choking sighs 
Which ne'er might be repeated — who could guess 

If ever more should meet, those mutual eyes, 
Since upon night so sweet, such awful morn could rise." 

At a seasonable hour that morning, one hundred and 
forty-nine men assembled at Minisink and placed them- 
selves under command of Col. Tusten. A council was 
immediately held to decide upon a plan of action. The 
majority were in favor of instant pursuit. But here the 
good sense of Col. Tusten interposed for the success of 
his little army. He reminded them that the enemy far 
outnumbered them, was accompanied by Tories who 
were better acquainted with the ground than they, and 
commanded by Col. Brandt, whose previous expeditions 
had proved his cunning and generalship — while they 
lacked ammunition, and were few in number compared 
with the foe. He proposed that they should wait where 



fm BATTLE OF MIN1SINK. 1 1 

they were for reinforcements and ammuniton which Woiild 
be with them in a short time. The majority were deaf 
to these proposals. They affected to consider the 
Indians cowardly, and were for pursuing them at once 
and retaking their plunder. In the midst of the debate, 
one Major Meeker mounted his horse, and flourishing 
his sword with a braggadocio air, cried out, " Let the 
brave men follow me ; the cowards may stay behind." 
The effect may well be imagined, for this is not the 
only instance where bravado has drowned the voice of 
judgment and sense. The question was decided, and 
the entire party took its line of march over the old 
Kathleghton path, the trail of the retreating savages. 
Seventeen miles was accomplished the same afternoon, 
and the pursuers then encamped for the night at a 
place known as Skinner's Saw Mills. The next morning 
(the 22d) they were joined by Col. Hathorn of the 
Warwick regiment, with a small reinforcement. The 
command was then taken by Col. Hathorn, he being an 
older officer than Col. Tusten. They then marched a 
few miles to Half-way Brook, and there came across the 
place where the Indians had encamped the preceding 
night. Another council was then held, and though Col. 
Tusten proved to them that they were outnumbered, 
by the number and extent of the camp fires that had 
dotted the enemy's camping ground, the same bravado 
that had ruled the day previous gained the decision, 
and the line of march w r as again taken up. Col. Tyler, 
who was best informed of the forest, was sent ahead 
with a small scouting party, as it was evident the foe 
was but a short distance in advance. He had gone but 
a little way however, before he fell into an ambuscade 
and was killed. This timely w T arning, says Dawson. 
fell unnoticed upon the reckless mass that followed. 



102 HISTOBT OP THE MIKISINK B8GI0H, 

After the alarm had subsided, the advice of their abler 
officers was again disregarded, and the settlers madly 
rushed forward. 

About nine o'clock in the morning as they were 
marching over the high hills east of the Delaware, they 
spied the Indians about three-quarters of a mile ahead, 
leisurely proceeding along the bank of the river toward 
the fording place at the mouth of the Lackawaxen. 
Col. Ha thorn, supposing his troops had been unnoticed 
by the enemy, and wishing to intercept them before 
they reached the ford, moved off the trail toward the 
right and soon lost sight of them, owing to the inter- 
vening hills. Brandt had observed the Americans and 
anticipated their movement. As soon as they disap- 
peared he at once wheeled his columns to the right, 
and passed up a deep ravine directly in the rear of the 
pursuers, thus choosing his own ground for the coming 
battle. By this maneuver about fifty of Hathorn's men 
became separated from the main body, and were not in 
the engagement. The Americans reached the fording 
place about ten o'clock, and discovered some of Brandt's 
men crossing the Delaware with the plunder. One 
Indian was behind the others, riding a horse which was 
recognized by the settlers as having been stolen from 
Minisink the day before. He was pursued to the river 
and shot while crossing. (Stone's Life of Brandt.) At 
the same instant another Indian appeared directly on 
the path over which they had just passed, while to add 
to the surprise of the Americans it was found that 
Brandt was not on the path he had been following when 
last seen. Brandt afterwards said that he arose from 
his hiding place at this juncture and addressed the 
officer in command of the settlers, demanding their sur- 
render, and telling them his force far outnumbered 



tm BATTLE OF MINISINK, IU3 

theirs ; but while engaged in parleying, a ball from 
their ranks passed through his belt, and he then 
retired to his men. About eleven o'clock the action 
became general. The settlers found themselves in a 
complete ambuscade. Every rock, tree and bush that 
surrounded them, seemed to furnish shelter for an 
enemy. Only about ninety in number, they found them- 
selves almost overwhelmed, but forming into a hollow 
square on the summit of a small hill, occupying about 
an acre, they hid behind trees and rocks, and " fought 
like brave men long and well." Suddenly the voice of 
Brandt was heard above the shouts and yells and roar 
of musketry, commanding the Indians who had crossed 
the Delaware with the plunder, to return. It was said 
that those who survived the battle never forgot the 
trumpet-tones of that deep, powerful voice. The Indi- 
ans at once obeyed their chief, and crossing the river, 
fell with fury upon the rear of the Americans, who now 
beheld themselves completely surrounded. Their 
access to water being cut oif, thirst was added to their 
torments. To increase their dismay, their ammunition 
began to be exhausted, and the sun was rapidly going- 
down in the west, betokening the close of the day. 

The day had passed, how they hardly knew. Repeat- 
ed attempts of the enemy to break their lines had 
failed, for they were good marksmen, and Col. Hathorn 
had ordered them not to fire a single shot till the enemy 
were near enough to make their aim sure. Just as the 
sun sank behind the western hills, a man who had 
guarded the north-east angle of the square, and whose 
trusty rifle had carried death to the foe more than once 
during the day, incautiously exposed himself to view 
while shifting his position behind a rock wliich sheltered 
him. A half-dozen or more Indian rifles cracked in 



104 msToft* of m% minisine region 

unison, and the brave man fell back dead. Brandt's 
quick eye saw the opening, and followed by his troops 
he dashed like a resistless deluge into the very midst 
of the Americans. They ceased to resist and fled in all 
directions. Some swam the Delaware, and many were 
drowned while attempting to cross. A horrible massa- 
cre ensued, and more were killed in the pursuit than in 
the battle. The yells of the savages, the cries for 
mercy, the groans of the dying, and the heart-rending 
supplications of the wounded for their companions not 
to forsake them, presented a scene that baffles descrip- 
tion. Col. Tusten, who was a skillful surgeon, was 
engaged in dressing the wounds of the wounded, seven- 
teen of whom were under his care behind a cliff of rocks. 
He remained with them, and died the death of a brave 
man, while those who had so freely called him a coward 
previously, were ingloriously running for their lives. 
Had the fifty men who were cut off from the main body, 
done their duty by attacking the enemy in the rear, 
instead of lying in a swamp all day like a parcel of 
frightened women, the fortunes of the day might have 
been turned against the foe and many lives saved. Of 
those actually engaged in the battle, forty-four were 
killed, according to Dr. Wilson's account, while Dawson 
says that of the one hundred and forty-nine men who 
went out, only thirty returned. 

NAMES OF THE KILLED AS FAR AS KNOWN. 

Col. Benjamin Tusten, Robert Townsend, 

Capt. Bezaliel Tyler, Samuel Knapp, 

Capt. Benjamin Yail, James Knapp, 

Capt. John Duncan, Benjamin Bennett, 

Capt. Samuel Jones, William Barker, 

Capt. John Little, Jacob Dunning, 



THE BATTLE OF MINISINK. 



106 



Lieut. John Wood, 
Adj. Nathaniel Fitch, 
Ens. Ephraim Hasten, 
Ens. Ephraim Middaugh, 
Gabriel Wisner, 
Stephen Mead, 
Nathaniel Terwilliger, 
Joshua Lockwood, 
Ephraim Ferguson, 
Talmadge, 



Jonathan Pierce, 
James Little, 
Joseph Norris, 
Gilbert S. Vail, 
Joel Decker, 
Abram Shepherd, 

Shepherd, 

Nathan Wade, 
Simon Wait, 
James Mosher, 
Isaac Ward, 
Baltus Niepos, 
Eleazer Owens, 
Adam Embler, 
Samuel Little, 
Benjamin Dunning. 



John Carpenter,* 
David Barney, 
Gamaliel Bailey, 
Moses Thomas, 
Jonathan Haskell, 
Abram Williams, 
Daniel Reed, 

The Moses Thomas who was killed, was a son of 
Moses Thomas, Sr., one of the first settlers at Cochecton, 
and who was killed in an Indian attack on that place in 
1763. He enlisted early in the war, and was with the 
army at West Point and Newburgh ; but becoming dis- 
satisfied with his officers he hired a substitute and 
returned to his family in Minisink. When Brandt 
invaded that section, he was among the first to volun- 
teer in pursuit, and was slain in the battle by a Tory 
named Case Cole. (Quinlan's Life of Tom Quick, p. 
174.) 

John Howel, the ancestor of an old family of Waway- 

anda, Orange county, was in this battle, and when the 

Americans broke and fled, stepped behind a tree and 

pulled off his shoes. Just then a tall Indian came along 

and stopped close by him, resting the butt of his gun 

on the ground and gazing after the fugitives, glimpses 
5* 



106 HISTORY OF THE MINISINK REGION. 

of whom could frequently be seen among the brush on 
the hill sides. Mr. Howel saw that the Indian would 
soon become aware of his presence, and determined to 
be beforehand with him ; so he took good aim at his 
head and fired. He said he never knew whether he 
killed the Indian or not, for he ran as fast as possible 
and did not look back to see. He was not pursued 
however, and escaped. 

Major Wood had heard that Brandt was a Freemason, 
and having by some process become acquainted with 
the Master Mason's signal of distress, when overtaken 
by the Indians and about to be dispatched, he gave the 
signal. Faithful to his pledge, Brandt interposed and 
saved his life. When he found out his mistake after- 
wards, he was very angry, but nevertheless spared his 
life. Eager says that the evening after the battle, 
when the Indians were about to tie him, Wood remon- 
strated, said he was a gentleman, and promised not to 
escape. Brandt acceeded to his request, but directed 
him to lie on a blanket between two Indians, who were 
directed to tomahawk him if he tried to escape during 
the night. The blanket caught fire in the night, but he 
dared not stir or make a noise for fear he should expe- 
rience the reality of the threat, and be tomahawked. 
The fire at last reached his feet and he kicked it put. 
The blanket belonged to Brandt, and he treated Wood 
harshly ever after. When asked the reason he replied, 
"D — n you, you burnt my blanket!" Wood ultimately 
returned to his friends after a long captivity. 

James Reeve, grandfather of John H. Reeve and 
James M. Reeve, Esqs., of Wawayanda, was in the bat- 
tle. When the settlers gave way he fled with the rest, 
but after crossing the Delaware separated from his com- 
panions. While making his way through the woods 



THE BATTLE OF MINISINK. 107 

his arm became weary with carrying his gun so long in 
one hand, and he thought he would carry it with the 
other awhile. When he made the exchange the gun 
fell from his hand, and on investigating the matter, he 
was surprised to find his arm had been broken by a 
musket ball * his mind having been so occupied that he 
had not felt the pain. 

A man named Cuddeback was among the fugitives, 
and fled with his companions till he became completely 
exhausted. He then stepped from the path and hid 
among some small bushes. After a short time the Indi- 
ans came along in pursuit and happily passed without 
seeing him. He was just about rising to his feet in 
order to get farther in the woods, when he saw an Indi- 
an coming. The Indian discovered him when about 
opposite ; but Cuddeback had his rifle ready, and the 
moment he saw the Indian's eye rest on him, he fired. 
He then fled with all possible speed, not knowing 
whether he had hit the Indian. No one pursued him 
however, and he escaped. 

Col. Benjamin Tusten, who was killed, was a practis- 
ing physician of the town of Goshen. His father re- 
moved from Southhold, Long Island, in the year 1746, 
and settled on the patent granted to Mrs. Demi, the first 
settler on the Wawavanda patent, which was between 
two and three miles from the village of Goshen, on the 
banks of the Otterkill. The old gentleman was much 
respected, and was a judge for some time in the county 
court. He was afterward appointed colonel of the 
militia. He owned a large tract of land, and intended 
young Benjamin for a farmer; he being three years of 
age at the time of removal. But as he grew older he 
evinced a great desire to adopt some professional calling. 
For this purpose he attended several medical schools. 



108 HISTORY OF THE MINISINK REGIOM. 

and in 1769 commenced the practice of physic at his 
father's house. In 1770 he introduced inoculation as a 
preventive of the small pox; the first of its general 
trial in Orange county. At the age of twenty-eight he 
married a Miss Brown, whom he had become acquainted 
with while studying medicine with Dr. Burnet, at New- 
ark, N. J. When the Revolution commenced he look 
an active part against the arbitrary measures of Eng- 
land. He was appointed Lieutenant- Colonel of the 
G-oshen regiment of militia, under Gen. Allison, in 1777, 
and the following year Surrogate of Orange county, 
which office he held when killed at Minisink. (Eager's 
History.) 

Daniel Myers, an early settler of the present town of 
Minisink, and much noted for his hatred of the Indians, 
was in this battle. When the whites gave way, he 
thought he would wait till the first rush was over in 
hopes of a better chance to escape. Accordingly he 
stepped out of sight behind a large tree. After waiting- 
some time he concluded the Indians had gone away after 
those who had run, and ventured to look out from his 
place of concealment. As he did so, an Indian who had 
remained behind for some purpose, spied him, and dodg- 
ed behind a tree with a yell. They were within close 
gunshot of each other, and at once began maneuvering 
to get the first shot. They were both good marksmen, 
and they each knew that if the other had a chance to 
aim at a vital part his life would pay the forfeit. At 
last Myers bethought him of an expedient. He drew the 
ramrod from his rifle and hung his hat upon it. He then 
pushed the hat around the side of the tree very cau- 
tiously, as if it were himself trying to get a glimpse of his 
opponent. The ruse was successful. The Indian fired, 
with such an accurate aim as to send a bullet plumb 



THE BATTLE OF MINISINK. 109 

through the centre of the hat. Myers let the hat fall; 
and the Indian thinking he had killed him, sprang for- 
ward with a whoop of triumph to secure his scalp. 
Myers then stepped in view, and as the Indian paused 
with astonishment, shot him through the heart. De- 
scendants of this brave old pioneer, or of his relatives, 
still reside in the towns of Minisink and Greenville. 

Benjamin Dunning, at the close of the battle, tried to 
escape by crossing the Delaware with a number of 
others. The Indians kept up a terrible fire on those in 
the water, and several were killed. He escaped unhurt 
till just as he was climbing from the water on the oppo- 
site side, when a bullet struck him and he fell dead upon 
the bank. His uncle, Daniel Dunning, formerly resided 
near Ridgebury in the town of Wawayanda. 

Of Major Meeker, who acted so prominent a part in 
the movements of the troops preceding the battle of 
Minisink, a humorous incident has been preserved to us 
by tradition, illustrative of the influence of the price of 
an article regardless of its quality. Shortly after he 
became chosen to the rank of Major of the militia, he 
found it necessary to procure corresponding equipments, 
and for this purpose visited Newburgh. Chief among 
the military toggery desired, was a hat — an article, the 
flaunt of whose proud feather, and the glitter of the 
shield that fastened its turned up side, had long visited 
the dreams of the ambitious Major. It had been deci- 
ded on as one that should only be equaled by the best 
dressed officer of the brigade; and with this thought 
uppermost he entered the chief hat store of the place. 
He was shown one, with the style and fit of- which he 
expressed himself pleased, and was told the price was 
only five dollars. " But," said the Major, " isn't that 
rather low ? To be sure it is verv nice, and no doubt 



110 HISTORY OF THB MINISINK REGION. 

good, but have you no higher priced ones ?" " Cer- 
tainly/' replied the hatter, and taking the hat he passed 
into a back room apparently to change it. Here he 
turned the feather a little more to the other side, 
brushed it thoroughly and in a few minutes brought out 
the same one. " That's a beauty," exclaimed the de- 
lighted Major; " What is the price of it?" " Ten dol- 
lars," was the reply, " I'll take that one," said the 
Major, and paying the money he walked away much 
better suited at having paid ten dollars for the military 
covering of his caput instead of five. 

There is an old tradition current among the legends 
of Minisink and Greenville, that Joseph Brandt in order 
to acquaint himself with the state of affairs in the Mini- 
sink neighborhood, paid it a visit in secret, some time 
before his second invasion, and remained concealed in a 
swamp in the present town of Greenville, nearly a 
month. The neighbors suspected a certain man, who 
had expressed Tory sentiments pretty freely, of carry- 
ing victuals to the swamp for some purpose, supposing 
probably it was some stray Indian secreted there. 
They set a watch upon the Tory, and one morning 
caught him just before daylight returning from the 
swamp, whither he had been to carry the carcass of a 
sheep he had just slaughtered. A council of the citizens 
was called, and many plans suggested for his punish- 
ment, as he refused to tell whom he had been feeding. 
It was at last determined to drive him to Goshen on 
foot. The skin of the sheep he had killed was thoroughly 
wound about him, a soldier followed with his bayonet 
fixed to keep him from lagging, a boy brought up the 
rear with an old bass drum, and in this order he was 
marched to Goshen to jail, a distance of some sixteen 
miles; a feat that must have made him look somewhat 



THE BATTLE OF MINISINK. Ill 

sheepish, as it was a broiling hot day in summer. We 
may well be assured too, that the settlers in Greenville 
felt somewhat sheepish when they found out what an 
important personage had been concealed beneath their 
very noses, and allowed to escape with impunity, when 
a very little energy would have captured him. 

Brandt by the above means became well informed of 
the nature and resources of the neighborhood, and thus 
was enabled to invade the Minisink Region so success- 
fully. The same knowledge enabled him so skilfully .to 
defeat the irregular levies that pursued him, whose 
hasty action and ill-advised movements he naturally un- 
derstood from their ignorance of war, and was well pre- 
pared to take advantage of. A few days after this bat- 
tle he fell with the same suddenness upon a settlement 
in the valley of the Mohawk, and left it a smoking ruin. 
His success rendered his name a potent spell of fear, far 
and near. He was generally believed to have been a 
half-breed — his mother a Mohawk squaw and his father 
a German — but it has since been thought he was a pure 
Mohawk Indian. He acquired a good education at 
Dartmouth College, and was appointed to a Colonel's 
commission of the Six Nations, under George III. at the 
commencement of the Revolution. Education did not 
tame his savage nature, for says Dr. Wilson, " In him 
the blood of the barbarian extinguished every spark of 
civilization that might have been kindled in his con- 
stitution. He was more cunning than the fox, and 
fiercer than the tiger. " Immediate movements were 
made by the government to check these depredations 
upon the frontier settlements. General Sullivan, with 
three thousand men, ascended the Susquehanna to Tioga 
Point, near the present village of Waverly, where he 
was met by Gen. Clinton, who with one thousand, had 



112 HISTORY OF THE MINISttK RBGION. 

marched from the Mohawk by the way of Cherry Val- 
ley. Uniting their forces they proceeded against the 
Senecas, whose principal stations were on the banks of 
the Genesee. The Indians hearing of the projected ex- 
pedition, took possession of an elevated piece of ground 
near Newton, on the Tioga river, and fortified it with 
judgment. Here the combined forces of Sullivan and 
Clinton attacked them in August, the month after the 
Minisink battle. For two hours they stood a fierce can- 
nonading, but at length their trenches were forced and 
they fled precipitately. The victorious army penetrated 
into the very heart of their country, and laid it desolate. 
Their villages, with their detached habitations, their 
immense crops of growing corn and grain, fruit trees, 
and gardens, were indiscriminately destroyed. So heavy 
did the hand of retribution fall upon them, that though 
they occasionally made feeble irruptions into small set- 
tlements along the Mohawk, they never after were able 
to muster force enough to advance so far east as Min- 
isink. 

For forty-three years the bones of the victims of the 
Minisink battle were bleached and whitened by the sun, 
wind and rain, among the dark ravines and on the bleak 
hillside where they fell. They were not forgotten, for 
the fearful scenes attending the death struggle, and the 
cause in which they bravely fought and died, had stamped 
its impress indelibly upon the memory of their fellow 
citizens. The first attempt to recover their remains 
was made by the widows of the killed, of whom there 
were thirty-three in the Presbyterian congregation of 
Goshen. They undertook to proceed to the battle field 
on horseback, but had not gone far before they were 
forced to give up the task. The man they hired to guide 
them to the place, was paid liberally and promised to go 



THE BATTLE OP MINISINK 113 

on and secure the remains. But he proved faithless to 
his trust, and was never heard from afterward. In 1820 
Dr. David R. Arnell published a sketch of Col. Tusten 
who was killed at the battle. It awoke a new interest 
in the matter, and finally led to the appointment of a 
committee to gather up the bones. The committee 
passed the night at the house of Mr. Samuel Watkins, of 
Half-way Brook, a descendant of Samuel Watkins of 
Revolutionary fame; having traveled about forty miles 
the first day. The next day they proceeded to the 
battle field. This is in the town of Lumberland, Sulli- 
van county, opposite the mouth of the Lackawaxen. It 
commenced on the banks of the Delaware and ended 
about three-fourths of a mile from the river. Some of 
the bones were found several miles distant, in the 
woods, the whole vicinity being a dense wilderness. 
Some have thought that Indian bones were picked up 
with the others; but the rule of the Indians was to carry 
off their slain; and on this occasion, says Eager, the sur- 
vivors saw the Indians after the battle engaged in this 
very duty. On the 22d of July, 1822, the bones were 
buried in Goshen — Col. Hathorn, then eighty years of 
age, laying the corner-stone of the monument. Dr. Jas. 
R. Wilson delivered the address, and it was estimated 
that at least 15,000 people witnessed the ceremonies. 
The monument bore the names of forty-four of the killed, 
and the date and purposes of its erection. In 1861 the 
old monument having become much defaced, Dr. Merit 
H. Cash, of Wawayanda, bequeathed four thousand dol- 
lars to the county for the purpose of procuring a new 
one. His views were carried out, and on the £2d of 
July, 1862, the eighty-third anniversary of the battle, 
the new monument was dedicated amid imposing cere- 
monies, and in presence of full as large an assemblage as 



114 HISTORY OF THE MINISIKK REGION, 

had attended that of the former. John C. Dimmick, 
Esq., delivered the address on the occasion. 

The monument stands in the yard of the Presbyterian 
church at Goshen. It is of marble, each corner bearing 
the figure of an eagle with distended wings. On the 
east side is inscribed the name of the donor and date of 
its erection; on the north a representation of the battle 
scene; and on the west the names of forty -four of the 
killed. The whole is surmounted by a marble column 
bearing on the top a figure of Hope pointing upward, 
an appropriate memorial of the disastrous battle that 
cost the lives of so many of the staunch citizens of old 
Orange. 



CHAPTER X. 

TOWN OF MINISINK. 

In 1788, after the close of the Revolutionary war, the 
Legislature of the State of New York began to study 
more closely the wants of the people than they had done 
when war alone usurped their attention. A general 
organization act was passed, dividing the State into 
fourteen counties, which were subdivided into town- 
ships. Orange county was one of those formed by the 
general provisions of this act, but its boundaries remain- 
ed the same as they had been since its first organization 
in 1683. It included the present county of Rockland, 
and extended from the Jersey line along the west side 
of the Hudson river to Murderer's creek, and from the 
mouth of Murderer's creek west along the line of Ulster 
county to the Delaware river. 

By the provisions of this act the county was divided 
into the following towns, which may be said to date 
their first regular establishment with this year: 

Cornwall, Goshen, 

Montgomery, Newburgh. 

New Windsor, Wallkill, 

Minisink, Warwick. 

Minisink, Montgomery, Newburgh and Wallkill originally 
included portions of the county of Ulster. 

Minisink was then of considerable extent, comprising 



116 HISfOBY OF THE MINIS1KK REGION. 

the area now covered by the towns of Wawayanda, 
Greenville, Minisink, and portions of Mount Hope and 
Deerpark. In 1790 it had a population of 2,215. It 
now covers less than one-third the area, yet in 1865 had 
a population of 1,209. It is bounded on the south by 
the State of New Jersey, east by the town of Warwick 
and partly by Wawayanda, north by Wawayanda, and 
west by Deerpark and part of New Jersey. The Wallkill 
river and Rutger's creek form a large portion of the 
southern and eastern boundary line. 

The principal villages are Westtown and Unionville . 
Westtown in the south-eastern, and Unionville in the 
southern part, near the New Jersey State line. 

Unionville rs said to derive its name from the dispute 
between New York and New Jersey in 1740, related in 
the fourth chapter of this work. The village at the 
time of the settlement of the difference, consisted of two 
or three houses. It stood on the disputed territory, and 
when the final boundary line was run between the two 
States, it was so near the line that it took the name of 
Unionville, in commemoration of the uniting of the States 
in renewed friendly relations. At present it contains 
a hotel, two churches, and four or five stores. 

Westtown is supposed to be the oldest in date of set- 
tlement, and at the time it was founded was the only 
village in the western part of the town. From this cir- 
cumstance it probably derived its name. It contains a 
hotel, two stores, two churches, and an academy. 

Rutger's creek is the most considerable stream in the 
town. It flows through it in a north-easterly direction, 
furnishing the water power for a grist mill, &c, at the 
village of Waterloo Mills, in the north-western corner of 
the town. About three miles north of Westtown it 
unites with the outlet of Binne water pond, where it 



TOWN OF MINISINK. 117 

becomes a boundary line between Wawayanda and Min- 
isink. Its course is then south-east till it empties into 
the Wallkill a little below the village of Gardnersville, 
where it furnishes water power for a grist mill. Its name 
is a corruption of the word Rutky, supposed to be the 
name of an old Indian who formerly resided somewhere 
along its banks. 

The first road or turnpike of any considerable magni- 
tude in western Orange, led from the valley of the Del- 
aware near Carpenter's Point, a short distance below 
Port Jervis, to Esopus, or Rondout, as it was familiarly 
known. It was constructed for mining purposes, and 
the date of its building has been lost in oblivion. It is 
supposed to have been built previous to the year 1664. 

In 1809 a turnpike was chartered from Goshen to 
Carpenter's Point, where a ferry was in operation. This 
extends principally through the present towns of Wa- 
wayanda and Greenville, and through the villages of 
Denton, Brookfield, Centreville and Greenville. 

In 1812 a charter was obtained for the " Goshen and 
West-town Turnpike Company/' 7 passing the legislature 
June 1st of that year. Section first declares, " That 
Reuben Hopkins, Freegift Tuthill, Benjamin Strong, 
Stephen Jackson, James Carpenter, David M. Westcott, 
and all such other persons as shall associate for the pur- 
pose of making a good and sufficient turnpike road, to 
begin at the lino that divides the States of New York 
and New Jersey, between the 40th and 41st mile stone, 
and to extend from thence to the village of Westtown, 
from thence to Rutger's kill near the mill of Jones and 
Van Cleft, from thence to the hill commonly called 
Pellet's Round Hill, near the edge of the Wallkill, and 
thence on the most eligible route to intersect the Goshen 
and Minisink turnpike near the village of Goshen, to be 



118 HISTORY OF THE MINISINK REGION. 

laid out by three commissioners appointed by the per- 
son administering the government of this State, shall be 
and hereby are erected and made a corporation and 
body politic, in fact and in name, by the name of the 
president, directors and company of the Goshen and 
WesttoAvn turnpike road, and by that name shall be 
capable in law," to hold, purchase, or sell land, &c; pro- 
vided that the real estate owned by the company shall 
not exceed $2,500. 

Section second appoints George D. Wickham, Stephen 
Jackson, Freegift Tuthill and Cotton Mathers commis- 
sioners to receive subscriptions to the stock of said com- 
pany, which was to consist of seven hundred shares at 
$25 per share. 

Section third fixes the rates of toll on said road, for 
every 10 miles 12^ cents for every vehicle drawn by two 
animals; 6 cents for every horse and rider; 12J cents for 
a one-horse pleasure wagon; 25 cents for a four-wheeled 
carriage; and 6 cents for a sled or sleigh. 

Section fourth places the quorum of directors at four; 
the " chord of the arch of the road " not less than 
twenty-four feet; and declared the act to be null and 
void unless the road was completed in less than four 
years. 

In this connection I will here subjoin a law of the 
olden time, for the gratification of those curious in mat- 
ters of ancient legislation. It was passed at an annual 
town meeting of the citizens of Minisink, April 1, 1790: 

" Whereas, the raising of sheep is of great advantage 
to individuals and of public utility, and for the greater 
encouragement thereof, 

" Be it ordained and established, by the freeholders and 
inhabitants of the town of Minisink, in annual town 
meeting assembled on the first day of April, 1790, and 



TOWN OF MINISINK. 119 

it is hereby ordered and established by the authority of 
the "same, that between the twentieth day of August and 
the first day of November in each year thereafter, no • 
ram or rams shall run at large in the public highways or 
commons in the town of Minisink, under the penalties 
hereafter mentioned. (Then follow the penalties, which 
were a forfeiture of the animal, to be sold at ven- 
due, &c.) 

" Section 2. And be it ordained and established by the 
authority aforesaid, that all fences in the town of Mini- 
sink in order to be lawful, shall be four feet two inches 
high, against all creatures belonging to persons who live 
in said town. (As this law has not been repealed it is 
presumed to be of full virtue at the present day.) 

" Section 5. And be it ordered by the authority afore- 
said, that a premium or reward of £3 (about $14J) shall 
be given to every person who shall kill a full grown 
wolf in the town of Minisink, and thirty shillings (about 
$7 j) for every lesser or young wolf that can see." 

The tradition is. that in those glorious old times it was 
the custom to intrust the votes given at town meetings 
to the Town Clerk, whose duty it was to count them the 
following day. " This," adds our informant, " often led 
to difficulty; for during the jollification given by the 
supposed successful candidates, that functionary fre- 
quently became somewhat elevated and lost the pre- 
cious tickets." This however may be regarded as a 
" willful misrepresentation of the fact," as Irving says. 

OLD FAMILIES OF MINISINK. 

Sayee. — It is not known to us what date the first res- 
ident of this name came to the town. Joshua Say re. 
doubtless one of the original settlers, was elected Super- 
visor of the town in 1820, and was a member of the New 
York legislature (assembly) in 1814, 



120 HISTORY OP THE MINISINK REGION. 

Dunning. — The ancestor of this family was Michael 
Dunning, who for some time resided in Goshen. His 
grandson, Daniel Dunning, removed with his step-father 
to this town shortly after the Revolution. His uncle, 
Benjamin Dunning, was killed at the battle of Minisink 
in 1779. Benjamin Dunning, probably a descendant of 
the family, was elected Supervisor of the town for six 
consecutive years, commencing in 1814. He was -also 
chosen a member of the New York legislature (assem. 
bly) in 1824. 

Bradner. — It is believed that at present not many 
descendants of the original family of this name reside in 
the present limits of the town. John Bradner, the first 
citizen of whom we find mention made, was the first 
Supervisor of the town after its organization in 1788. 
He was elected four consecutive years, commencing 
with 1789. 

Cooley. — The descendants of this old family, we 
believe, are now almost all included in the population 
of adjoining towns. Jonathan Cooley was first Town 
Clerk of the town in 1789, cotemporary with John 
Bradner. He held the office two years, and was elected 
Supervisor in 1793, which office he held four consecutive 
years. A descendant of his, Freegift Cooley, formerly 
owned the farm now owned by Mr. William H. Carpen- 
ter in Wawayanda. He is said to have been a very 
eccentric man, as the following incident shows : In 
those times, which was before the invention of stoves, 
it was the custom to use fire-places in which cord-wood 
could be used as it Avas first cut in the woods. One 
cold morning in winter, when the snow was very deep, 
Mr. Cooley was early engaged in dragging indoors a 
prodigious back-log. It happened just then that a 
neighboring tailor was passing by, it being a tailor's 



TOWN OF MINISINK. 121 

duty in those days to go from house to house and do 
odd jobs of mending and making apparel. Seeing Mr. 
Cooley struggling with the log r he concluded to assist 
him, and accordingly stuck his press-board in the snow 
and advanced to lend a helping hand. Without saying 
a word he took hold of one end of the log. Mr. Cooley 
at the Same instant let go his hold, and quietly stepping 
behind the tailor, gave him a tremendous kick accom- 
panied with the quaint advice, " Help when you are 
asked to, after this." The tailor's action in the matter 
is not known, but it is presumed he again took his 
onward way, both a sadder and wiser man. 

Tuthill. — The date of this family's emigration to 
this town is not known. The first citizen of the name 
we find mentioned in the old annals, is Freegift Tuthill. 
who was a member of the Goshen and Westtown Turn- 
pike Company in 1812. . Richard M. Tuthill, Jr., was 
elected a member of the New York Legislature (Assem- 
bly) in 1845. He was also Town Clerk in 1837, and 
again in 1838. He was much respected and was a very 
able and worthy man. His son, Mr. Charles H. Tuthill, 
served as Town Clerk in 1862 and in 1863. Robert C. 
Tuthill was also Town Clerk in 1856 and 1857. Wheth- 
er all of the name are descendants of one family or not 
we are unable to say. 

Clark. — This family is ancient, and its descendants 
numerous in the towns of Wawayanda, Greenville and 
Minisink. The first mentioned in old records is Hulet 
Clark, who was first elected Town Clerk in 1819 and 
served two years. He was also Supervisor in 1851, 
1852 and 1853. This family was the especial victims of 
the d} r sentery in the year 1825. The following mem- 
bers of his family died in sixteen days : (Eager's His- 
tory, p. 410.) 



James M. Clark, 


" 3 


Bertha Clark, 


" 9 


Alfred Clark, 


" 10 


Henry Clark, 


" 5 


Mary Clark, 


11 33 



122 HISTORY OF THE MINISINK REGION. 

Samuel J. Clark, aged 7 years, died August 17, 1825. 

18, 
20, 

22, 

" Sept. 2, 
Harvey H. Clark, of Greenville, was elected Town 
Clerk of that town in 1855, 1859 and 1860; also, Super- 
visor of that town in 1865 and 1866. W. L. Clark was 
Town Clerk of the same town in 1856, and Alfred L. 
Clark in 1857. Whether originally of one common 
ancestry or not, we do not know. 

Decker. — This family has also representatives in 
Greenville and Wa way and a. The different branches 
are probabhy directly or remotely connected with Isaac 
Decker, who settled near Ridgebury in the year 1800. 
Dewitt Decker, Esq., (of another family) was elected 
Supervisor of Minisink in 1860 and again in 1861. His 
son, Mr. Henry D. Decker, was elected Town Clerk in 
1864, 1865 and 1866. 

MEMBER OF PROVINCIAL CONGRESS FROM MINISINK. 

1775 . . JohnD. Coe. 

SENATORS FROM MINISINK. 

1795 . . . John D. Coe. 

ASSEMBLYMEN FROM MINISINK. 

1779-80 . . . John D. Coe. 

1789-90 . . . John D. Coe. 

1791 , . . John D. Coe. 

1792 . . . JohnD. Coe. 
1794 . . . John D. Coe. 
1812 . . . Peter Holbert. 
1814 . . . Joshua Sayre. 
1816 . . . John Hallock, Jr. 
1820 . . . John Hallock, Jr. 



TOWN OP MINISINK. 



123 



1824 
1834 
1835 
1837 
1841 
1842 
1845 
1847 
1850 

REPRESENTATI 

1825-27- 



Benjamin Dunning. 
Merit H. Cash. 
Merit H. Cash. 
Merit H. Cash. 
Gideon W. Cock, Sr. 
Roswell Mead. 
Richard M.Tu thill, Jr. 
Joseph Davis. 
Daniel Dmiand. 

ES IN CONGRESS OF U. S. FROM MINISINK. 

(19th Congress) John Hallock, Jr. 



1827-29— (20th Congress) John Hallock, Jr. 

SUPERVISORS AND TOWN CLERKS OF MINISINK FROM ITS 
ORGANIZATION IN 1788 TO 1866. 

The first Town Meeting was held at the house of 
John Yan Tyle, April, 1789. 

SUPERVISORS. 



1789 — John Bradner. 
1790— John Bradner. 
1791— John Bradner. 
1792— John Bradner. 
1793 — Jonathan Cooley. 
1794 — Jonathan Cooley. 
1795 — Jonathan Cooley. 
1796— Jonathan Cooley. 
1797— Levi Yan Etten. 
1798 — Nathan Arnout. 
1799— Henry Tucker. 
1800— Henry Tucker. 
1801— Henry Tucker. 
1802— Henry Tucker. 
1803— Henry Tucker. 
1804— Henry Tucker. 
1805— Henry Tucker. 



TOWN CLERKS. 

Jonathan Cooley. 
Jonathan Cooley. 
Henry Tucker. 
Henry Tucker. 
James Steward. 
James Steward. 
James Steward. 
James Steward. 
Martiness Cuykendall. 
James Steward. 
James Steward. 
James Steward. 
James Steward,. Jr. 
James Steward, Jr. 
James Steward, Jr. 
James Steward, Jr. 
James Steward, Jr. 



124 



HISTORY OP THE MINISINK REGION. 



1806- 

1807- 

1808- 

1809- 

1810- 

1811- 

1812- 

1813- 

1814- 

1815- 

1816- 

1817- 

1818- 

1819- 

1820- 

1821- 

1822- 

1823- 

1824- 

1825- 

1826- 

1827- 

1828- 

1829- 

1830- 

1831- 

1832- 

1833- 

1834- 

1835- 

1836- 

1837- 

1838- 

1839- 



-Henry Tucker. 
-Henry Tucker. 
—David Christie. 
—David Christie. 
—David Christie. 
-Joseph Smith. 
-Joseph Smith. 
-Peter Holbert. 
-Benjamin Dunning. 
-Benjamin Dunning. 
-Benjamin Dunning. 
-Benjamin Dunning. 
-Benjamin Dunning. 
-Benjamin Dunning. 
-Joshua Say re. 
-David Christie. 
-Benjamin Dunning. 
-Benjamin Dunning. 
-Increase B.Stoddard. 
-David Christie. 
-David Christie. 
-David Christie. 
-David Christie. 
-James Hulse. 
-James Hulse. 
-Hulet Clark. 
-Merit H. Cash. 
-Merit H. Cash. 
-Joseph Davis. 
-Isaac Cook. 
-Isaac Cook. 
-Isaac Cook. 
-Gideon W. Cock, Sr. 
-Gideon W, Cock, Sr. 



James Steward, Jr. 
James Steward, Jr. 
James Steward, Jr. 
Increase B. Stoddard. 
Peter Holbert. 
Hezekiah Taylor. 
Hezekiah Taylor. 
John Hallock, Jr. 
John Hallock, Jr. 
John Hallock, Jr. 
John Hallock, Jr. 
Jonathan Carpenter. 
Jonathan Carpenter. 
Hulet Clark. 
Hulet Clark. 
James Hulse. 
William Evans. 
Martin L. Mapes. 
Jonathan Bailey. 
Peter Holbert. 
Peter Holbert. 
James Hulse. 
James Hulse. 
Joseph Davis. 
Merit H. Cash. 
Merit H. Cash. 
David H. Slawson. 
David H. Slawson. 
John C. Owen. 
Roswell Mead. 
Roswell Mead. 
Richard M. Tuthill. 
Richard M.Tuthill, Jr. 
Dewitt C Hallock, 



TOWS* OF HINISI2TK, 



125 



1840— Roswell Mead. 
1841— Roswell Mead. 
1842— John C. Wisner. 
1843— John C. Wisner. 
1844 — Joseph Davis. 
1845 — Gabriel Hortou. 
1846— Gabriel Horton. 
1847— Stewart T. Durland. 
1848— Stewart T. Durland. 
1849— Daniel Fuller ton. 
1850— Timothy Wood. 
1851— Hulet Clark. 
1852— Hulet Clark. 
1853— Hulet Clark. 
1854 — Albert A. Seymour. 
1855 — Albert A. Seymour. 
1856 — Joseph M. Case. 
1857 — Joseph M. Case. 
1858— John C. Wisner. 
1859— John C. Wisner. 
1860— Dewitt Decker. 
1861— Dewitt Decker. 
1862— Joseph M. Case. 
1863— Joseph M. Case. 
1864— Joseph M. Case. 
1865 — Joseph M. Case. 
1866— Joseph M. Case. 



Erastus Stickney. 
Erastus Stickney. 
Henry H. Stewart. 
Henry H. Stewart. 
David Clark. 
Joseph M. Case. 
Stewart T. Durland. 
Stephen Harding. 
Lewis Armstrong. 
William Hatch, Jr. 
William Hatch, Jr. 
Henry C. Halsey. 
Samuel B. Elston. 
Isaac Winters. 
Simeon M.Coykendall. 
Simeon M. Coykendall. 
Robert C. Tuthill. 
Robert C. Tuthill. 
Jacob P. Snook. 
Jacob P. Snook. 
John R. Halstead. 
John R. Halstead. 
Charles H Tuthill. 
Charles H. Tuthill. 
Henry D. Decker, 
Henry D. Decker. 
Henry D. Decker. 



The number of acres of land assessed in the town in 
1865, was 14,045 ; assessed value thereof, $512,209, or 
about $36 47 per acre ; personal property, $140,989. 



CHAPTER XI. 

TOWN OF DEERPARK. 

In 1798 the county of Rockland was set off from 
Orange by act of the legislature ; and in order to main- 
tain the size of Orange county, five towns from Ulster 
were incorporated into its limits, making it of its pres- 
ent dimensions. The present town of Deerpark was 
thus formed principally from the town of Mamakating, 
in Ulster county. Eager says the name arose from the 
following circumstance : A man by the name of Mc- 
Daniel, one of the early settlers, owned a small tract of 
land somewhere within its limits, which he enclosed 
with a fence made of brush and small trees lopped 
together. Some of his neighbors to ridicule it called it 
McDaniel's "deer-park;" and the name became so 
familiar that the whole vicinity soon went by the .same 
cognomen by which the town is now known. The 
most of the town is included in the limits of the 
old Minisink patent, which also covers a large portion 
of the town of Minisink, in conjunction with the Waway- 
anda patent. As has been made known in the previous 
chapters of this work, this portion of Orange was one 
of the earliest settled ; the fertile valleys of the Dela- 
ware and Neversink attracting attention from the very 
first visitors of that region. In 1800, two years after 
the formation of the town of Deerpark, it had a popu- 



TOWN OJF DEERPARK. 127 

iation of 955. In 1855 it had increased to 5,504 and in 
1865 to 7,417. It is bounded on the north by Sullivan 
county, west by Pennsylvania, south by Pennsylvania 
and New Jersey, and east by Greenville and Mount 
Hope. Mongaup river or creek forms the boundary 
Hue on the north-west, the Delaware river on the south 
and south-west, and the Shawangunk mountain on the 
east. 

The principal streams are, the Neversink, flowing 
through the town in a southerly direction ; the Bashus' 
kill, also flowing south ; and Ouwe (Old) Dam kill, Spar- 
rowbush creek, Grassy Swamp brook, Fall brook and 
other streams. The Neversink is supposed to be an 
old Indian name, though the true appellation, according 
to the Indian tongue, was Mahackemeck. The former 
name is doubtless an allusion to the character of the 
stream, which has a current of such rapidity that, unless 
of very heavy bulk, articles thrown upon its surface 
will float some distance before sinking : hence are said 
to '"never sink." Bashus' kill is named after an old 
squaw by the name of Bashee, who is said to have re- 
sided for a long time on its banks near the present vil- 
lage of Westbrookville, and was very friendly to the 
white people of that region. These streams furnish 
abundant water power, and as a consequence saw mills, 
grist mills, &c, are conveniently interspersed through- 
out the town. Eager says, (p. 370) that the first at- 
tempt to grind grain was made by an old settler named 
Jacob Cuddeback, (or Codebeck,) who built a small 
mill on a spring brook near his house ; one of the 
original millstones of which is still to be seen in the 
cellar of Peter E. Gumaer. Two mills were early 
erected on Ouwe Dam kill, (Old Dam brook,) also one 
on the Neversink river, near Cuddebackville. in the 



12S HISTORY OF THE MINISIKK REGIOK. 

year 1770, by Jacob R. Be Witt, according to the same 
authority. Several others were located near where 
Port Jervis now stands. 

The principal villages of the town are Port Jervis 
and Cuddebackville. Westbrookville, Huguenot, Bolton 
and Gumaer's, are thriving places. 

Port Jervis mav be said to have been founded in the 
year 1826, the date of the construction of the Delaware 
and Hudson canal through the town, to which event 
this thriving village may be said to be indebted for its 
origin. It is named after the superintendent who 
attended the building of the canal, one Mr. Jervis, who 
made it his place of business for some time. The first 
merchants in the village were Gilbert F. Mondon, 
Stephen St. John and Benjamin Dodge. The two last 
named were in partnership at first. These men, with 
Dr. Conklin, are said to have been the first to abandon 
the sale of spirituous liquors when the agitation of the 
temperance question commenced. In 1859 the village 
contained thirteen stores, nine hotels, two tobacco 
manufactories, grist mills, and numerous representatives 
of the different professional pursuits, besides the ex- 
tensive machine shops of the Erie Railway company, 
which are well worthy of a visit from those curious in 
matters of machinery, or who like to view the giant 
iron horse at rest by the dozen in this vast stable — the 
engine house. 

The village being the western end of the eastern 
division of the Erie Railway, which was built through 
the town a few years after the Delaware and Hudson 
canal, has no doubt greatly enhanced its prosperity. 
The small village of Germantown, or as it was formerly 
called, Honesdale, a short distance north-west on the 
canal, may now properly be styled a part of Port Jervis, 



TOWN OP DEERPARK. 129 

since the whole line of the canal in that vicinity is a 
continuous village. 

Cuddebackville is in the north-eastern part of the 
town on the line of the canal. It is named in honor of 
an old settler, Jacob Cuddeback, one of the original 
owners of a patent given in the year 1697, for the land 
in what was called the Peenpack valley. One of his 
descendants, Col. William Cuddeback, owned the site 
of the village at the date of the building of the canal, 
which was the origin of the village. It now has two or 
three stores, two churches and a hotel. 

Westbrookville is a small village, north-east from 
Cuddebackville, also on the canal, which gave rise to it. 
A store and hotel comprise its business portion, and it is 
named after John Westbrook, who kept a sort of store 
or tavern at this same place before the Revolution, and 
whose descendants for a long time resided near it. 

Huguenot is a small village between Port Jervis and 
Gumaer's, on the canal. It is chiefly noted for the 
mineral springs lately discovered near it, and the 
splendid hotel erected there. It is named after the 
Protestant refugees from France, many of whom settled 
in the valley, and were called Huguenots. It has a 
grist mill, stores, <fcc. 

Gumaer's is a small collection of houses on the canal, 
north of Huguenot, has a store and hotel, and is the 
residence of Gumaer Brothers, descendants of one of 
the original patentees of Peenpack, in 1697. 

Bolton is a small place in the south-western part of 
the town, on the canal, and is named after John Bolton, 
an original member of the canal company. 

Deerpark boasts of two suspension bridges, which are 
in truth beautiful evidences of the triumph of science, 
and perfect imitations of their great prototype, the 
6* 



130 HISTORY OF THE MINISINK REGION. 

Niagara suspension bridge. One is located between 
Guniaer's and Cuddebackville, across the Neversink 
river, and the other between Gurnaer's and the mines, 
across the same stream. The latter was built by 
Gumaer Brothers at their own expense. 

The wooden bridge across the Delaware, just above 
Port Jervis, is also worthy of notice as a very good one 
of its class. 

OLD FAMILIES OF DEERPARK. 

Gumaer. — Previous to emigration from France this 
name is said to have been spelled Guymard, and in the 
adoption of a name for the new post office at " the 
mines," thus came in use. For some time after the 
emigration it was spelled Germar, and this has since 
been modernized to the present mode of pronunciation, 
Gumaer. Peter Gumaer, the ancestor of the family, 
came to the town in the year 1690. He belonged to the 
branch of Protestants known as Huguenots, some 50,- 
000 of whom were driven into exile by the revoking of 
the famous Edict of Nantes. He is supposed to have 
left France, his native land, about 1685 or 1686, starting 
with the intention of going to England. He however 
changed his mind in regard to the latter determination, 
and came to America. In 1697, (October 14th,) together 
with six others, he purchased a patent of twelve hun- 
dred acres in what was called by the Indians " Peen- 
pack" — tradition says at a cost of from two to four shil- 
lings per acre. This patent soon after came into pos- 
session of the patentees, viz.: Peter Gumaer, Jacob 
Cuddeback, one of the Swartouts, and a settler named 
Harmanus Van Inwegen. It has mostly remained in 
possession of their descendants to the present time. 
Mr, Gumaer was a very active participant in the events 



TOWN OF DEERPARK. 131 

of those early times, one of the principal forts for de- 
fense against the Indians being located at his house. 
He brought the first fanning mill to Minisink ever seen 
in this section, about 1750 or 1760. He married a Miss 
Swartout, and had seven children — six daughters and 
one son. This son, Peter, was born November 15, 1708. 
He married Charity DeWitt, daughter of Jacob DeWitt, 
of Rochester, Ulster county. They had four sons and 
two daughters— Peter, born February 19, 1732; Jacob, 
born December 12, 1739; Ezekiel, born December 29, 
1742; Elias, born January 22, 1748; Esther, born Jan. 
2, 1730; Margaret, born May 12, 1736; Mary, born July 
16, 1745; and Elizabeth, born Dec 5, 1750, but who died 
at the age of two years. Of these, Ezekiel married 
Naomi Low, daughter of Abraham Low, of Rochester, 
Ulster county, in the year 1770. They had but two 
children, both sons: Abraham, born October 3, 1783, 
who died at the age of twelve years, and Peter E.,born 
May 28, 1771, now living. Peter E. Gumaer, Esq., 
married Esther Cuddeback, October 10, 1813, and has 
had seven children: Morgan, born January 27, 1815; 
Ezekiel, born May 10, 1817; Jacob C. E., born October 
18, 1820; Peter L., born January 29, 1827; Naomi, born 
January 29, 1830; Andrew J., born November 4, 1833, 
and Esther H., born August 30, 1835. This venerable 
gentleman gave us these particulars personally a short 
time since. As will be seen by the date of his birth, he 
is verging on toward a longevity of life seldom equaled, 
almost a century of years having passed over his head. 
His eye is still bright and his voice clear and strong. 
He remembers the Indians that frequented the valley 
before the Revolutionary war; one in particular, named 
Scott, who made him a bow and arrows at the fort at 
his father's, when he was a little boy. He saw the peo- 



132 HISTORY OF THE MINISINK REGION. 

pie going to the battle of Minisink, and recollects one 
John Waller, about whom great uneasiness was felt by 
his friends, he being absent some two or three days after 
the battle; but who finally returned safe and sound, 
with several deerskins on his back, he having been 
hunting on his way home. The same individual stood 
close by Capt. Cuddeback in the battle. A bullet came 
whistling through his coat, at which the Captain re- 
marked, " John, hadn't you better stand a little back ? 
They shoot d— d good." " No," he replied, " I want to 
get a chance at them." Captain Cuddeback's advice to 
the settlers on pursuing the Indians, was to attack them 
secretly in the night, but not being used to that mode 
of warfare they were afraid of shooting each other in 
the dark. They finally determined to attack them while 
crossing the river. This plan might have succeeded 
had not Captain Tyler's gun accidentally went off, thus 
apprising the Indians of their being pursued. Mr. 
Gumaer recollects Captain Cuddeback's narration of his 
escape after the battle. He says Cuddeback was a 
powerful man physically, one of his feats of strength 
being the raising of a fifty-six pound weight attached to 
each finger and thumb of his right hand, making in all 
two hundred and eighty pounds, at arm's length. He 
was Captain of the fort located at his father's for some 
time. 

Mrs. Gumaer, also living, has been her husband's com- 
panion in the bonds of conjugal felicity fifty-three years, 
and like him, remembers back to a time when the principal 
implements used in agricultural operations Were rudely 
fashioned and mostly of wood ; when the clothes were 
altogether of home manufacture; when the men wore 
their hair long, and had it powdered and tied up in 
queues like the Ghinese; and when the grain intended 



TOWN OP DEERPARK. 133 

for bread had to be pounded in a stone mortar with a 
round stone about eighteen inches in length and three 
or four in diameter, by hand — a work mostly performed 
by the women; having, as she said, " many a time pound- 
ed corn till her hands were blistered." Her memory is 
full of old-time incidents, one of which, relating to the 
naming of Bashus' kill, is as follows: An old squaw by 
the name of Bashee, and her husband, lived for many 
years by this stream. They were very friendly to the 
whites and lived in content long after their tribe had gone 
west. The old chief was a good hunter, and was fre- 
quently accompanied by his wife, who carried the game 
on such occasions. During one of these excursions he 
shot a large deer, and tying the two legs fast to a stick, 
old Bashee took it on her shoulder and started home- 
ward, he following slowly along the path. Her way was 
over the stream, which was crossed by a log reaching 
from bank to bank. In crossing, she slipped from the 
log, and the stick caught her fast by the neck so that it 
was impossible to free herself. Her husband shortly 
found her dead, with the deer hanging across the log — 
and that is the way it came to be called Bashus' kill, or 
more properly Bashee's kill. 

Cuddeback. — This name was at first spelled Code- 
back, but English usage soon changed it to Cuddeback. 
Jacob Cuddeback, the ancestor of the family, was a 
countryman of Gumaer's, and came with him to America. 
They first landed in Maryland, and being short of funds, 
labored for a time till they procured the wherewithal 
to enable them to emigrate to Minisink. They were 
partners in almost all transactions; and either in the 
city, or in one of the counties on the east side of the 
Hudson, (says Eager,) both entered into the interesting- 
state of matrimony with the daughters of a Dutch family 



134 HISTORY OP THE MINISINK REGION. 

named Swartout. Three members of the Swartout fam- 
ily accompanied their newly-made relatives to the Mm- 
isink Region. These were Thomas Swartout, Bernardus 
Swartout and Anthony Swartout, all of whom were 
concerned in the purchase of the Peenpack Patent. 
Cuddeback built the first grist mill erected in the pres- 
ent limits of the town. He was much noted for the 
part taken in the New Jersey boundary dispute. He is 
said to have been well educated, of extensive historical 
knowledge, and so well versed in the Scriptures that 
theological questions were always left to his decision. 
He was the one selected to go to the Governor to pro- 
cure the patent on behalf of the purchasers in 1697, 
which mission he successfully accomplished. He lived 
to be about one hundred years old, and his faculties 
were good to the day of his death. His descendants are 
quite numerous, and have always occupied conspicuous 
places in the history of the Minisink Region, the scene 
of their daring ventures, hair-breath escapes, and perils 
untold of the Indian wars and Revolutionary struggle, 
and of their prosperity in the better times since then. 

Swartout. — The ancestors of this family were of 
Dutch origin, and came to this town with G-umaer and 
Cuddeback in 1690. They were all three interested in 
the Peenpack Patent, but Eager says that but one of 
them kept his share. Whether it was Thomas, Antho- 
ny, or Bernardus, that refused to sell, we are not inform- 
ed. They were said -to be all large, powerful men, and 
well fitted for the hardships of a pioneer's life in the 
wilderness. One of them in 1730 was major of the 
militia of Orange county. He resided on the disputed 
territory between New York and New Jersey, and was 
once dispossessed by the Jersey claimants; an affair that 
called out all his neighbors in order to reinstate him, as 



TOWN OF DEERPARK. 135 

related in a previous chapter. Cornelius Swartout and 
Gerardus Swartout, a son of the Major, were at the 
capture of Fort Montgomery by the British, but es- 
caped. This family bore an important part in all the 
struggles and hardships of those troublous times, and 
their descendants may well point proudly to the record. 
This family, nearly all, we believe, now spell their 
name Swartw r out. 

Van Inwegen. — Nothing of the nationality of this 
ancient family is known, but as most of the early settlers 
in the Minisink Region were German, and the name 
sounds like those of that derivation, we may safely set 
it down as coming from that nation. Harmanus Van 
Inwegen we first find mentioned as becoming part 
owner of the twelve hundred acre patent, doubtless the 
buyer of the shares sold by the Swartouts. Eager says 
he married a daughter of one of the Swartouts. He is 
represented as being a powerful man, so much so that 
the strongest Indians were unable to cope with him. 
He took a very prominent part in the border war with 
New Jersey, and became a member of the committee of 
safety organized in the Minisink Region in 1777. A 
young man named Gerardus Van Inwegen was killed at 
the capture of Fort Montgomery, but whether he was a 
son of Harmanus or not we do not know. The citizens 
of Deerpark by that name, are doubtless mostly descend- 
ants of his. 

Westbrook. — We know but little of the origin of this 
family. The original ancestor of the family in this 
town was John Westbrook, whom we first find men- 
tioned in the old annals as keeping a store where West- 
brookville now stands, which was a celebrated resort for 
the Indian trade previous to and during the old French 
war of 1755. Major and Johannes Westbrook, relatives 



136 HISTORY OP THE MINISINK REGION. 

of his, are said by Eager to have been captured by the 
Jersey men, at the old Mahackemeck church, during the 
border troubles, about 1764 or 1767, and confined for 
some time in the old Jersey Colony prison, but was 
soon released. They appear to have been men of some 
importance in those times. 

Decker. — The progenitor of this family settled in 
what was known as the " lower neighborhood," about 
the same time, or shortly after the settlement of the 
Peenpack Patent by Gumaer and Cuddeback. His name 
was John Decker, and he kept a store or tavern for some 
years before and after the French and Indian war. It 
was near his house that Tom Quick is said to have 
killed Mushwink, the Indian. This was after the close 
of the war. Mushwink was among the Indians who 
returned to the settlement, (Quinlan's Life of Tom 
Quick, p. 46), and one day happened to be at Decker's 
tavern pretty drunk, and boasting of his exploits. 
Quick was present, and in order to irritate him the 
savage gave an account of his helping to kill Thomas 
Quick, Sr., and exhibited the silver sleeve buttons worn 
by the victim when killed. This aroused Quick's feel- 
ings, and catching a loaded musket from its place over 
the mantle, he ordered the Indian to leave the room. 
The Indian saw he was in earnest, and obeyed with a 
crestfallen air. Quick followed him toward Carpenter's 
Point about a mile, when he exclaimed, " Indian dog, 
you'll' kill no more white men," and instantly shot him 
in the back between the shoulders. The savage leaped 
two or three feet in the air and fell dead. A fort was 
located at Decker's by the committee of safety in 1778. 
It was captured by the Indians under Brandt in 1779. 
Major John Decker, according to Eager, had a narrow 
escape from the same body of Indians: and his wife and 



TOWN OP DEERPAKK. 187 

children fled to Mr. James Finch's, east of the Shawan- 
gunk, for safety. 

DeWitt. — There were four brothers of the name, who 
first emigrated from Holland. (Eager, p. 396.) One 
settled in the town of Hurley, One in Rochester, and one 
in Napanoch, Ulster county; the fourth is supposed to 
have settled in Duchess county. Jacob R. DeWitt, who 
settled in this town, was a son of the one who settled at 
Napanoch. Miss Mary DeWitt, sister of Jacob R., mar- 
ried Gen. James Clinton, of New Windsor. They had 
four children. DeWitt Clinton, the illustrious states- 
man, was one of them; and Eager says Deerpark is enti- 
tled to the honor of giving him a birthplace, owing to 
the following incident: 

" In February, 1769, James Clinton, with his lady, 
came to the fort at De Witt's, on a visit to see her 
brother, Capt. Jacob Rutson DeWitt. A violent snow 
storm came on which lasted some days, and when it 
abated Mrs. Clinton was found to be in such an inter- 
esting situation as to make it imprudent to return home. 
They remained at the fort six weeks, and during the 
interval DeWitt Clinton was born.'' 

Moses DeWitt, Jacob R. DeWitt's eldest son, was a 
person of very agreeable manners, and well liked by the 
Indians, who deeply lamented his death. He surveyed 
the boundary line between New York and New Jersey 
in 1787. 

Van Auken. — The first resident of this town by the 
name, is believed to have been Abraham Yan Auken, 
but from whence he came and the date of settlement is 
unknown. A fort was erected at the house of Daniel 
Yan Auken, one of his descendants, in the " lower 
neighborhood," by order of the committee of safety in 
1778. Jeremiah Yan Auken, doubtless a member of the 



138 HISTORY OF THE MIKISIKK REGION. 

same family, was killed during Brandt's invasion of Mini- 
sink in 1779. 

Mills. — This family is very ancient, and it is proba- 
ble that the persons of that name throughout Mount 
Hope, Wawayanda, Deerpark and other towns, are 
branches of the same family, though in many cases the 
connection has been lost. In an old copy of The Gazette 
(if we mistake not) mention is made of the death of a 
citizen named Mills, in Connecticut, in the year 1726, 
aged ninety-five years, and " who was born in America." 
This would place the date of his birth at 1631, just 
eleven years after the landing of the pilgrims at Ply- 
mouth; so we may conclude his parents to have come 
over in the Mayflower. In 1656, " Thompson's History 
of Long Island " mentions the names of a number of 
persons from Milford, (Connecticut, we presume,) who 
signed a petition to Governor Stuy vesant asking leave to 
settle at a place called Jamaica, L. I. This was granted 
and the settlement commenced. One of the petitioners 
was named George Mills. Timothy Mills, a few years 
afteward removed from Jamaica, and settled at a place 
called Mills' Pond, Suffolk county, L. I. By his first wife 
he had two children, and by his second, eleven children. 
Of these Jonathan was born October 23, 1710. He mar- 
ried Ruth Rutgard, by whom he had six children. Of 
these Jacob was born December 23, 1746. He married 
Catherine Denton, daughter of Samuel Denton, of Long- 
Island, by whom he had twelve children. He came 
from Mills' Pond to Little Britain in Orange county, 
where he followed the business of a tanner for some 
time, and from where he removed to the town of Wall- 
kill, near ScotchtoAvn, at a very early date. One of his 
children, William Wickham Mills, afterward married the 
only daughter of Wickham Denton, Esq., of L. I. 



TOWN OF DEERPARK* 139 

Another, Samuel Mills, married Miss Elizabeth Stitt, by 
whom he had fourteen children. Of these, Rev. Samuel 
W. Mills, of Port Jervis, is the ninth. One of the 
daughters (lately deceased) married Theodore J. Den- 
ton, Esq., of Wawayanda. 

Clauson. — This family originally settled at an early 
date in the town of Minisink; but has become so scatter- 
ed that we believe it has few if any of the name at 
present in the town. Aaron Clauson, grandfather of 
George Clauson, Esq., of Port Jervis, came from Newark, 
N. J., and settled near Unionville in 1793-4. In 1797 
he purchased a farm of Daniel Myers at that place. On 
this farm his son, Elias Clauson, lived for seventy years, 
or until his death, which occurred a few years ago. 
This gentleman was possessed of numerous incidents 
concerning Daniel Myers; who, it will be recollected, 
was a great hunter and Indian slayer. On one occasion 
he was at the house of Mr. Myers, who was then an old 
man, but still an unerring marksman with the rifle. A 
bird of curious shape was seen flying through the air 
overhead, and old Mr. Myers brought out his rifle, re- 
marking that he would find out what it was. It was so 
high as to look about the size of a man's hat, but, so true 
was the old man's aim, that the crack of his rifle brought 
it whirling to the ground, when it was found to be an 
eagle of the largest size. The Indians on another occa- 
sion surprised the old man while splitting rails. He 
acknowledged himself a prisoner, but requested them 
to help open a log before taking him off. This they 
agreed to, knowing he could not get awa} T . So they 
ranged themselves on both sides of the log and took hold 
to pull it apart while he drove the wedges. No sooner 
had they signified their readiness, than a well directed 
blow knocked out the wedge and the log closed together, 



140 HISTORY OF TH1 MINIS1NK REGION. 

catching every one by their fingers* He then leisurely 
knocked them in the head with the axe one by one, 
(Some say this was Tom Quick, but we believe Daniel 
Myers to be the man.) 

Van Etten. — Anthony Van Etten is the first resident 
of the town of whoni we have any account. He resided 
in the " lower neighborhood," near Decker's, in 1779. 
He was a man of much note among the early settlers. 
Thomas Van Etten, Jr., represented western Orange in 
the legislature with ability, some years since. 

Van Vliet (or Van Fleet.) — James Van Vliet is the 
first resident of the town, of the name, and narrowly 
escaped from the Indians with his family during Brandt's 
invasion, 1779. John Van Vliet for a long time owned 
the land afterward owned bv Michael Van Vliet and 
Solomon Van Vliet. 

Westfall. — The first record of this family shows it to 
have been located in the " lower neighborhood " in 1755, 
when a fort was erected at their residence to protect 
the settlers from the Indians. It was an important po- 
sition, and the Indians tried many times to surprise the 
place. This family was the first attacked by Brandt in 
1779, where one man was killed. (Eager, p. 386.) 

Henry Cortright, Solomon Davis, Benjamin DuPuy, 
Solomon Cole, William Cole, Peter Cuykendall, Abra- 
ham Low and Evert Hornbeck were old settlers, many 
of whose descendants are still comprised in the enter- 
prising population of the town. The citizens of Port 
Jervis may well remember with gratitude the liberality of 
Col. Samuel Fowler, of later days, who may well be con- 
sidered a patron of the place and a great promoter of 
its prosperity. Some of the finest buildings in the vil- 
lage were built by him. 

I will notice here, as it may not be out of place to 



TOWN OF DEERPARK. 141 

record the notice of a personage so well known to the 
early inhabitants of this section, Ben Shanks, a native 
Indian chief; in person tall, slender and athletic, in fact 
said to be the tallest Indian ever seen on the Delaware; 
from which circumstance he probably derived his Eng- 
lish name, his true name being Huycon. His hair was 
jet black and clubbed behind, his forehead high and 
wrinkled, his eyes of a fiery brown color, and sunk deep 
in their sockets, his nose pointed and aquiline, his front 
teeth remarkably broad, prominent and white, his cheeks 
hollow and furrowed; in a word, Ben Shanks, when ar- 
rayed in all the warlike habiliments of his tribe, pre- 
sented one of the most frightful specimens of human 
nature that the eye could rest upon. (Quinlan's Life of 
Tom Quick.) He was well known throughout Orange 
and Ulster, and dreaded for his cruel and bloodthirsty 
disposition in time of war. The most cruel murder he 
was concerned in, was perpetrated near the close of the 
Revolutionary war. Colonel Johannis Jansen, a noted 
patriot, whom Shanks had often worked for when a boy, 
lived in the north-eastern part of the town of Shawan- 
gunk, Ulster county. Christopher Mentze, his nearest 
neighbor, was a German inhabiting a comfortable log- 
house three-quarters of a mile distant in a westerly di- 
rection. His son, John Mentze, had married a daughter 
of John George Mack, who lived on the other side of 
the mountain. A few months before the tragedy, a 
young lady named Hannah had come from New York 
and was visiting at Mr. Mentze's, who was her uncle. 
She is described as being about eighteen years of age, 
and a most decidedly lovely and interesting young 
lady. Being of an industrious disposition, she had been 
hired to spin for Col. Jansen's family, spending her Sab- 
baths at her uncle's. 



142 HISTORY OF THE MINISINK REGION. 

One Monday morning in September, Colonel Jansen, 
while going to a barrack near his barn, was surprised 
by two Indians who attempted to take him prisoner. 
He managed to escape from them, and ran for the house 
shouting murder, pursued by one Indian who got so near 
him that he tried to catch hold of him. The Colonel 
got inside the door first and shut it, but did not have 
time to bolt it. The Indian endeavored to push the 
door open, but in the struggle the Colonel proved the 
stronger, and the attempt failed. The savage then 
attempted to break open the door with a broad-axe 
which was lying on the porch. The Colonel frightened 
him away by calling loudly for his musket and pistols. 
These his wife brought, and the Colonel determined to 
defend the house at all hazards. His w T ife raised a win- 
clow sash for the purpose of closing the blinds so as to 
darken the room, but was frightened away by a man 
disguised as an Indian, but whose blue eyes at once 
revealed the Tory. The Colonel then retired to the 
upper part of the house with his family, and the assail- 
ants soon broke into the lower rooms. The C doners 
three female slaves were captured and placed near the 
door under charge of Ben Shanks, while the Tory and 
three other savages searched for valuables. Just at 
this time one of the slaves saw Hannah coming through 
the gateway near the barn, to resume her spinning at 
the Colonel's. The slave motioned to her in the most 
forcible manner to go back, that she was in danger and 
must not come to the house; but the poor girl not un- 
derstanding her meaning, walked leisurely into the 
kitchen. When she comprehended her danger, her 
terror was extreme. She wrung her hands in agony, 
and with one of the slaves uttered the most moving en- 
treaties for life. But the unfeeling monsters compelled 



TOWN OF DEERPARK. 143 

her with the uplifted tomahawk to take a place with the 
slaves. Then gathering up the spoils, they ordered 
their prisoners to advance, one of theni leading the way 
across the fields toward the mountain, and leaving Col, 
Jansen in possesion of his house. 

While these events were taking place, Mr. Mack, with 
his daughter Elsie, a young lady of eighteen, had been 
to visit his son-in-law, John Mentze, and to take back 
their winter clothing which they had been in the habit 
of leaving at Mr. Mentze's when not needed, as Mack's 
dwelling was more exposed to Indian and Tory depre- 
dations. They were now on their way home across the 
mountain, accompanied by John Mentze, following an 
Indian path through the woods, the nearest habitation 
over the mountain being nine miles. After going about 
four miles they reached the foot of a precipitous ledge 
near the summit of the mountain, and stopped to rest, 
Mack remarking to his son-in-law, as he sat down to 
light his pipe, that he had gone far enough and might 
return. While they were talking, Elsie climbed to the 
summit of the precipice to enjoy the view, which com- 
prised a large portion of Orange and Ulster counties. 
Suddenly their horses seemed frightened at something 
in the bushes not far from where they had been tied. 
They looked round for the cause, and the old man see- 
ing them first, cried out, " They are Indians." Mentze 
raised on tiptoe, and looking over the laurels, replied. 
" No; it is a Tory with negroes." Almost as soon as he 
spoke however he saw the frightful visage of Shanks, 
with the three negroes behind him, creeping -toward 
them under cover of the laurel bushes, while the Tory 
and other Indians had gained the path below them to 
cut off their retreat. Being unarmed, he saw there was 
no safety but in flight, and immediately fled toward the 



144 HISTORY OF THE MINISINK REGION. 

horses, running under the neck of one of them, and 
toward the bank of a brook. As he turned down the 
bank of the brook, he heard Elsie give a heart-rending 
shriek, but knew he could do nothing to aid the doomed 
girl, and not daring to Avaste his time, he leaped into 
the brook, a distance of some fifteen feet, in doing which 
he severely sprained his ankle. Unheeding the pain he 
threw off his now water-soaked shoes, and fled down the 
rocky bottom of the brook and across the fields to Mr. 
Thomas Jansen's, a brother of the Colonel. Seeing 
persons passing, he halloed loudly and was heard. A 
party of friends quickly volunteered, and Mentze pro- 
curing his faithful rifle, led the way regardless of his 
bruised and swollen ankle. On arriving at the place of 
the attack a bundle of clothes was found, but nothing- 
could be seen of Mr. Mack or his daughter. Tracks 
were found leading in a westerly direction, toward the 
aforementioned brook. They were followed, and on 
ascending about ten paces up a gentle declivity on the 
other side of the brook, the objects of their search were 
exposed to view. At the foot of a rock oak tree, the 
old man lay upon his hands and knees, dead, and scalped 
in the most horrible manner. From his position it was 
evident he had struggled long in the agonies of death. 
His head hung down between his shoulders, and his 
hands were clenched and filled with leaves. About five 
feet further up lay his daughter, stretched at full length 
upon the bank, her clothing properly arranged, and her 
inanimate form scalped in the same terrible manner. 
A rude bier was constructed, and their remains tenderly 
and mournfully carried home for proper interment. 
Mentze was so overcome by the affecting scene that he 
had to be supported homeward by the strong arms of 
his sympathizing friends. He remembered that Han- 



TOWN OP DEERPARK. 145 

nah, captured at Col. Jansen's, was not with Shanks' 
band when he saw them, and search was instantly made 
for her. The next day, as they were about giving up 
the search, a dog belonging to the party was observed 
to direct his course to a lonely field near the Colonel's 
house, and on following him they soon came in sight of 
the mangled corpse of her whom they sought. Like 
her friend Elsie, she too had been scalped, and the 
bleeding skull excited feelings of horror in those who 
came to witness the scene. She too was transported 
in silence to the humble mansion of her venerable uncle, 
and from thence in due season to that solitary bourne 
from whence no traveler returns. 

Shanks after this aifair never ventured again in that 
neighborhood. He however made his appearance after 
the war at Cochecton, in company with Canope, an In- 
dian of that place. They were warned by the whites 
not to remain long in the vicinity, but disregarding the 
caution, they proceeded up the Delaware to fish and 
hunt. Finally they got acquainted with a man named 
Ben Haines, who lived near Handsome Eddy, and con- 
cluded to make his house their home. Haines managed 
to send word to Tom Quick and Cobe Shinier (an ac- 
quaintance of the two ladies murdered on the Shawan- 
gunk,) at Minisink, and they proceeded to Haines' house 
secretly, for the purpose of trapping the Indians. They 
placed themselves in ambush near the bank of the river, 
and Haines, understanding their position, enticed the 
Indians to a favorable spot under pretense of its being- 
better fishing. Quick and Shinier fired at them — Quick 
wounding Canope, while Shinier missed Shanks entirely. 
Haines knocked Canope in the head with a pine knot. 
Shanks fled, and was pursued by Quick some distance, 
but escaped by reason of superior speed. He passed 



146 HISTORY OF THE MINISINK REGION. 

through Cochecton afterward on his way west, breath- 
ing vengeance against the white man, and was never 
more seen along the Delaware. (Quinlan's Life of Tom 
Quick.) 

Tom Quick. — The ancestors of this celebrated person 
were among the earliest settlers in Ulster county, having 
emigrated to that section some time previous to the 
year 1700. Tom's father, as has been previously stated, 
was murdered by the Indians in an extremely barbarous 
manner; an event that shaped the future of Tom's life. 
This took place near where Milford now stands, on the 
Pennsylvania side of the river. Tom was a boy at the 
time, and as affairs were then in an extremely unsettled 
state, it being just previous to the commencement of 
the old French and Indian war, he had a fine opportu- 
nity to revenge the death of his father. He took to the 
woods, followed hunting, fishing and trapping for a liv- 
ing, and grew to man's stature almost an Indian in ap- 
pearance. His antipathy to that race grew with his 
years, and he was never known to miss an opportunity 
of killing an Indian, young or old. He once slew an In- 
dian chief, squaw, and their children, in a canoe on the 
Neversink. When reproached with killing the children 
he replied, " Nits make lice." The Indians tried hard 
to get him in their power, and twice took him prisoner, 
but his good fortune enabled him to escape each time. 
They once stole the bell of a cow owned by his relative, 
where he was staying, and hid with it among the brush, 
knowing he was in the habit of driving up the cow at 
night. When he came out to look for her, they jingled 
the bell gently to entice him to the spot; but Tom mis- 
trusted something, by the bell being rung so long in one 
place, and accordingly crept around behind them unseen, 
and with his trusty rifle killed one and severely wounded 



TOWN OF DEERPARK. 



147 



another. He died peacefully at an advanced age, re- 
gretting only that he had not quite killed an even hun- 
dred of the hated race. 

MEMBER OP PROVINCIAL CONGRESS FROM DEERPARK. 

1775 . . . David Pye. 

MEMBERS OF CONVENTIONS TO FORM STATE CONSTITUTION 

FROM DEERPARK. 

1777 . . . David Pye. 



1846 



Lewis Cuddeback. 



MEMBERS OF COLONIAL ASSEMBLY FROM DEERPARK. 

1752 . . . Moses DePue, Jr. 
1759 . . • Moses DePue, Jr. 

MEMBERS OF STATE SENATE FROM DEERPARK. 

1791 . . . David Pye. 

1792 . . . David Pye. 

1793 . . . David Pye. 

1794 . . . David Pye. 

MEMBERS OF COUNCIL OF APPOINTMENT FOR STATE SENATORS 

FROM DEERPARK. 



1784 


. Jacobus Swartout. 


1786 


. Jacobus Swartout. 


1792 


. David Pye. 


MEMBERS OF ASSEMBLY FROM DEERPARK. 


1795 


. David Pye. 


1796 


. David Pye. 


1803 


. James Finch, Jr. 


1010 


. James Finch, Jr. 


1814 


. James Finch, Jr. 


1815 . 


. James Finch, Jr. 


1816 


. James Finch. 


1817 


. James Finch. 



148 



HISTORY OF THE MINISINK REGION. 



1820 . . . James Finch, Jr. 

1824 . . . James Finch, Jr. 

1830 . . . Abraham Cuddeback. 

1833 . . . James Finch. 

1836 . . . Thomas Van Etten, Jr. 

1841 . . . Lewis Cuddeback. 

1852 . . . Abraham J. Cuddeback. 

1855 . . . . James Bennet. 
The town book previous to 1854 appears to have been 
lost, as the writer with the assistance of Mr. W. E. 
Haggerty, the present Town Clerk, searched the office 
for it thoroughly without avail. The following list of 
the names of the Supervisors and Town Clerks we de- 
rived from loose papers in the office, and is imperfect; 
but until the lost records can be found or replaced, there 
will necessarily be a blank in regard to some of the 
early town proceedings. 

The first town meeting after the organization of the 
town appears to have been held May 2, 1799, and the 
following gentlemen acted as inspectors of election, viz.: 
James Finch, Jr., William Deem, William Young, Joseph 
Smith and Elias Gumaer. In 1801 the town meeting 
•was held at the house of Samuel Watkins. 

NAMES OP THE SUPERVISORS AND TOWN CLERKS OP DEER- 
PARK, FROM ITS ORGANIZATION TO THE PRESENT TIME. 



SUPERVISORS. 

1799 — James Finch, Jr. 
1800 — James Finch, Jr. 
1801— James Finch. 

1802 

1803 

1804 

1805 

1806—Peter E. Gumaer. 



TOWN CLERKS. 



Enoch Tuthill. 



James Finch, Jr. 



TOWN OP DEERPARK. 



149 



1807- 
1808- 
1809- 
1810- 
1811- 
1812- 
1813- 
1814- 
1815- 
1816- 
1817- 
1818- 
1819- 
1820- 
1821- 
1822- 
1823- 
1824- 
1825- 
1826- 
1827- 
1828- 
1829- 
1830- 
1831- 
1832- 
1833- 
1834- 
1835- 
1836- 
1837- 
1838- 
1839- 



SUPERVISORS. 

-James Finch. 
-James Finch. 
-James Finch, Jr. 
-Peter E. Gumaer. 
-Peter E. Gumaer. 
-Peter E. Gumaer. 
-Peter E. Gumaer. 
-Peter E. Gumaer. 
-James Finch, Jr. 
-James Finch, Jr. 
-Abraham Cuddeback. 
-James Finch, Jr. 
-James Finch, Jr. 
-Abraham Cuddeback. 



TOWN CLERKS. 

Peter E. Gumaer. 
Peter E. Gumaer. 
Stephen Farnum. 
Stephen Farnum. 
Stephen Farnum. 
Stephen Farnum. 
Stephen Farnum. 
Stephen Farnum. 
Charles Murray. 
Charles Murray. 
Charles Murray. 
Stephen Farnum. 
Stephen Farnum. 
Stephen Farnum. 



-David G. Finch. Joseph Conklin. 

-Peter E. Gumaer. 

-Peter E. Gumaer. 

-Philip S war tout. Benj. Van Inwegen. 

-Philip Swartout. 

-Benjamin Cuddeback. Benj. Van Inwegen. 
-Levi Van Inwegen. — — 



-Lewis Cuddeback. 
-Lewis Cuddeback. 
-Lewis Cuddeback. 
-George Burns. 
-Levi Van Etten, 



John S. Van Inwegen. 
John S. Van Inwegen. 
Peter Cuddeback. 
Peter Cuddeback. 



150 



HISTORY OF THI MINISINK REGION. 



TOWN CLERKS. 

Peter Cuddeback. 



SUPERVISORS. 

1840— Levi Van Etten. 

1841 — 

1842 — Lewis Tan Inwegen. John S. Van Inwegen. 

1843 

1844 

1845 

1846 



1847 

1848 — Peter Van -Inwegen. Peter G. Van Inwegen. 

1849— David Swartout. J. B. Crawford. 

1850— James Van Fleet, 

1851 — Samuel Fowler. 

1852 

1853 

1854 — James Bennet. 

1855 — Eli Van Inwegen. 

1856 — Eli Van Inwegen. 

1857— Peter Cuddeback. 

1858— John Van Etten. 

1859— John Van Etten. 

I860— Solomon Van Etten. 

1861— Solomon Van Etten. 

1862— Orville J. Brown. 

1863— Franklin R.Brodhead. Dayton T. Cox. 

1864 — Franklin R.Brodhead. Francis R. Fossard. 

1865 — Franklin R.Brodhead. George Clauson. 

1866— FranklinR.Brodhead. William E. Haggerty. 

The number of acres of land assessed in the town in 
1865, was 34,225; assessed value, $1,192,520; personal 
property, $241 ,600. 



Peter G. Van Inwegen. 
F. W. Lockwood. 
F. W. Lockwood. 
Waltemire Westbrook. 
Andrew Conger. 
Joseph H. Knowlton. 
Dayton T. Cox. 
George Brodhead. 
George Brodhead. 
George Brodhead. 
Charles W. Douglass. 
Edgar A. "Wells. 



CHAPTER XII. 

TOWN OF MOUNT HOPE. 

This town was erected by an act of the State Legis- 
lature in 1825. It was formed from parts of the towns 
of Minisink, Wallkill and Deerpark, and was first called 
CalhouD, in honor of John C. Calhoun, the celebrated 
statesman of South Carolina. His views, policy, and 
patriotic course as Secretary of War during the contest 
with Great Britain in 1812, had rendered him a very 
popular man at the time, and thus the town came to be 
named after him. It went by this name till 1831 or 
1832, when the inhabitants suddenly discovered his prin- 
ciples of public government to disagree with theirs. 
No time was lost in endeavoring to obliterate his memory 
from the annals of the town. A public meeting was 
called, and it was resolved to thereafter call the town 
Mount Hope; by which name it has been known to the 
present day. The following is a copy of the act passed 
by the Legislature confirming the action of the citizens : 
" Chapter 63. — An Act to alter the. name of the town of 

Calhoun. Passed March 14, 1833. 

" The people of the State of New York, represented 
in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows: 

" § 1. From the passage of this act, 'the town of 
Calhoun in the county of Orange, shall be known and 
distinguished by the name of the town of Mount Hope," 



152 HISTORY OF THE MINISINK REGION. 

The records of the town are very deficient in matter 
relating to the history of its formation. &c, the pro- 
ceedings of the various town meetings previous to 1849 
having been destroyed, mostly by a lire which occurred 
about the year 1848. The town in shape is an almost 
exact diamond, and embraces in its limits ;i large por- 
tion of the eastern slope of Shawangunk Mountain, 
which affords the finest scenery, it may be said, in the 
world, apart from our vast rivers, and which one of its 
citizens with just reason not long since prophesied would 
yet be lined with the country residences of city gentle- 
men. By the discovery of the valuable lead mines on 
Shawangunk Mountain, the resources of the town have 
been largely increased, and its exports are probably 
larger than any other town noticed in this work. The 
oldest landmark of the town is on the line between it 
and Wallkill, and is dated 1705. It has but one stream 
of importance — the Shawangunk kill — flowing from 
south to north the whole length of the town, and fur- 
nishing water power for several grist and saw mills. 
The name, as applied to the stream and mountain, is 
doubtless derived from the name of the tribe of Indians 
who once occupied a large share of the territory in the 
vicinity — the Shanivans, mentioned in Arent Schuyler's 
visit to the Minisink Region in our first chapter. The 
change from the word Shanioan to Shawangunk, it is 
obvious would be a very simple transition. The town 
is bounded, on the north by Sullivan county, on the 
west and north-w r est by the town of Deerpark, on the 
south by Minisink and Greenville, and on the east by 
Wallkill. The principal villages are New Vernon, in 
the north-eastern part; Otisville, in the western; Guy- 
niard, in the north-western; Mount Hope, in the central: 



TOWN OF MOUNT HOPE. 153 

and a small collection of houses known as Finchville, in 
the south-west. 

New Yernon is said to have been called by its pres- 
ent name in order to distinguish it from a place called 
Yernon, in New Jersey. It is a place of some business, 
having a store, grist mill, clover mill, woolen factory, 
hotel, &c. 

Otisville has derived its principal source of prosperity 
from the construction of the Erie Railway, which crosses 
Shawangunk Mountain at this place; though before that 
event, it was a thriving little village, and done a large 
trade in the lumber business. It was named after Isaac 
Otis, who was the first merchant there, and who added 
greatly to its thrift. This gentleman, we believe, after- 
ward removed to New York city. At present this vil- 
lage does far more business than any other in the town, 
having dry-goods stores, groceries, drug stores, hotels, 
&c. 

Guymard is a flourishing village of recent origin, 
owing its existence to the discovery of lead a few years 
since on the lands of Gumaer Brothers, on the west side 
of Shawangunk Mountain, near the line separating the 
town from Deerpark. The lead was first discovered 
while building the road leading from the old turnpike to 
Gumaer's, on the canal. The largest mine, known as 
the Erie, is on the immediate site of the village, which 
is a place of almost unsurpassed rapidity of growth, now 
having stores, hotels, &c, some of them of large size. 

Mount Hope is the oldest village in the town. It was 
founded by Benjamin Woodward and Dr. Benjamin B. 
Newkirk, on the 8th day of May, 1807. On that day 
they raised their dwellings on the present site of the vil- 
lage, and after the frames had been successfully put to 
their places, James Finch, Sr., in the presence of the 
7* 



154 HISTORY OF THE MINISINK REGION. 

assembled company, and with appropriate remarks, 
named the new village Mount Hope; a name which it 
still retains on this sixtieth year of its existence, and 
which now distinguishes the whole town. Benjamin 
Dodge and Stephen St. John soon after became residents 
of the place, and were great promoters of its prosperity. 
For many years it was the centre of a large trade in 
various commodities, especially lumber and shingles, 
but since the building of the Erie Railway its business 
has became mostly diverted to places on the line of the 
road. Its public buildings now comprise one church, 
store, hotel, <fec. 

OLD FAMILIES OF MOUNT HOPE. 

Finch. — This family, very illustrious in the history of 
the Minisink Region, is now scattered abroad, and we 
believe has but few if any representatives at present in 
the town. John Finch, the first emigrant, came from 
Horse Neck, Connecticut, and settled at Goshen. It is 
said that he was the first grown person buried in the 
graveyard of the Goshen church — some children having 
been previously buried there. His son, James Finch, 
Sr., was born there. He married a Miss Catherine 
Gale, and shortly afterward purchased the land now 
occupied by the site of the village of Middle town. At 
the time of his location there, which we judge to have 
been about the year 1768, there were but three log- 
houses besides his within a mile of the place. This 
furnishes another example of the extraordinary growth 
of population so noted in some portions of Orange 
county. The same land is now occupied by one of the 
most beautiful and enterprising villages in the county. 
Its crowded thoroughfares, lined with splendid residen- 



TOWN OP MOUNT HOPE. 155 

ces, popular places of public business, aud factories 
whose shrill whistles vie with the hoarser scream of the 
locomotive, certainly form a striking contrast with the 
three humble log cabins in the dreary wilds where 
prowled the Indian, wolf and bear, scarce ninety years 
ago, a space of time that is frequently included in the 
life time of a single individual. About 1774 Mr. Finch 
removed to near what is now known asFinchville. His 
house was much resorted to for safety by fugitives from 
the Minisink valley during the Revolutionary war, 
being the nearest house to them on the east side of 
the mountain. Among those that came there when 
Brandt made his second invasion of the Minisink Region, 
was the wife of Major Decker, who had escaped from 
their home in the " lower neighborhood " in her night 
clothes, and led her small children by the hand, weeping 
as she came. The only article saved was the family 
bible, which she carried under her arm, and which, says 
Eager, in such an hour was worth more to her than 
Caesar's diadem. Mr. Finch performed military duty 
during the old French and Indian war of 1755. He. 
when quite young, was waiter for Gen. Ambercrombie 
or some of his staff at Fort Stanwix. During the Rev- 
olutionary war he acted in the capacity of what was 
called a :i minute man " — that is, men armed and 
equipped and ready for duty at a moment's warning. 
He was not in the battle of Minisink however, and 
Eager explains the reason by stating that Cols. Wisner 
and Phillips while marching with their men to the ren- 
dezvous, halted at Mr. Finch's to rest themselves and 
procure something to eat. There being nothing but 
salted provisions in the house, Mr. Finch killed a large 
fat hog for the troops. After they had eaten, the bal- 
ance was placed in their knapsacks for use at some other 



156 HISTORY OP THE MINISINK RBGION. 

time, and it was resolved by. them that Finch should 
not go with them, but should remain at home and pre- 
pare a good meal against their return. But like the 
Persian army ill the old Grecian war, they were destined 
never to enjo} 7 it. Few of those who shared his hospi- 
tality on that eventful morning, ever returned to thank 
him for his kindness or liberality. He died as he had 
lived, an unshaken believer in the doctrines of the Bap- 
tist church, in which he had acted in the capacity of 
deacon for many years. 

His son, James Finch, Jr., was born July 25, 1768. 
His talents brought him into public notice when quite 
young. He held the office of Justice of the Peace of 
Deerpark from about 1798 to 1830, excepting the time 
he acted as County Judge. (Eager.) His son, Coe 
Finch, succeded him as Justice in 1831. Eager says he 
held the office of Supervisor of his town twelve years 
in succession, and served as member of the State Legis- 
lature thirteen sessions; but we are inclined to think it 
a mistake in the latter particular, for Hough in his 
" civil list," says James Finch was elected three terms, 
in 1816-17 and 1833, and James Finch, Jr., six terms. 
1810, '14, 15, '20, and 1824. He was married in 1794, 
and had ten children : Zophar, Catherine, Margaret, P. 
G-., Coe, Julia, Jesse, James M., John and Sarah. He 
died a firm adherent of the faith of his fathers, Dec. 7, 
1843, aged seventy-five years four months and twelve 
days. His public proceedings are mainly included in 
the early records of the town of Deerpark, which then 
included that part of the town of Mount Hope where he 
resided. We believe he was the first Supervisor of the 
town of Deerpark after its organization in 1798. 

His family fell victims to a disease in the latter part 
of the year 1843 and beginning of 1844, that proved 



TOWN OF MOUNT HOPE. 157 

singularly fatal in its effects. P. G. Finch, son of James 
Finch, was the first attacked by it in September, 1843. 
and did not recover till January, 1844. This formed 
the basis from which the disease spread over almost the 
whole county, and extended somewhat into New Jersey. 
Mr. James Finch's wife, Sarah, and her daughter of the 
same name, both died the same day, December 2. 1843, 
and were buried in the same grave. This disease was 
of a bilious typhoid character, and for a long time was 
known and dreaded by the citizens of the surrounding 
country, by the name of the Finch fever; but a treatment 
has been found of late years that has caused it to become 
a comparatively mild complaint. Seven of Mr. Finch's 
family died with it between November 23, 1843, and 
February 4, 1844. D. G. Finch's house was burned in 
1837-38, and with it were destroyed papers and docu- 
ments of almost inestimable value in regard to the in- 
formation they contained relative to the early history of 
the town and of the Minisink Region. 

Woodward. — This family is. among the most ancient 
in the town, having been closely interwoven with its 
history for a period of over ninety-two years. Heze- 
kiah Woodward, Jr., and his father, Hezekiah Wood- 
ward, Sr., emigrated to this town from Stonington. 
Conn., in the year 1773-4, about the same time of 
James Finch, Sr.'s emigration to the town, and settled 
about a mile from where the village of Mount Hope 
now stands. This appears to have been the com- 
mencement of a general settlement of the vicinity, for 
it appears to have had quite a population of white in- 
habitants about 1780. Benjamin Woodward, son of 
Hezekiah Woodward, Jr., was born February 28, 1780. 
He, with Dr. Benjamin B. Newkirk, was the original 
founder of the village of Mount Hope, which event 



15S HISTORY OP THB MINISIMX RBGIOM. 

took place May 8, 1807, in the twenty-eighth year of 
his age. His talents brought him early into public 
notice, and he filled various offices in his town. In 
1814-15, 1820-21, and 1826, he was chosen a member of 
the Legislature of the State, (Assembly,) and discharged 
the duties of his office during those years with fidelity. 
In 1821 he was a member of the Convention for framing 
the State Constitution. He was also State Senator from 
1827 to 1830. His son, Charles S. Woodward, Esq., 
was elected Supervisor of the town for four consecutive 
years, commencing in 1862, and a member of the Legis- 
lature (Assembly) in 1863-64. We are indebted to this 
gentleman, who is a resident of Mount Hope village, 
for many valuable particulars relative to the early his- 
tory of the town. 

Mills. — This family is undoubtedly a branch of the 
family of this name mentioned in Chapter XL of this 
work. Isaac Mills, probably a brother of Jonathan 
Mills, who resided at Mills' Pond, L. I., married Sarah 
Phillips, a relative of the family after whom the place 
known as Pillipsburgh (a short distance below New 
Hampton, in Wawayanda,) is named. He died April 
25th, 1783, aged 56 years. Ebenezer Mills, a descend- 
ant of his, was born August 3, 1759, and came from 
Mills' Pond to Orange county in 1787, accomplishing 
the journey in a sloop as far as New Windsor, and from 
thence to Wallkill on foot, the tour occupying sixteen 
days. He married Abigail Yail, of Wallkill, whose 
family long occupied a prominent place in the history 
of that town, and died February 23d, 1834. His son, 
Isaac Mills, Jr., was born March 5th, 1788, and married 
Clarissa Hulse, in 1816. They had seven children, five 
girls and two boys. Of these, Andrew J. Mills was 
born February 22d, .1821, and married Maria Green. 



TOWN OF MOUNT HOPE. 159 

daughter of Charles S. Green, Esq., and sister of Geo. 
W. Greene, Esq., of Goshen. He was a member of the 
Legislature (Assembly) in 1854-55. We are indebted 
to his kindness for valuable statistics. 

Green. — This is a very numerous family, and we 
believe that at present no less than four by the name 
are hotel keepers in the town. The} 7 " are believed to be 
mostly descendants of Daniel Green, who at an early 
period in the history of Wallkill was an extensive land 
owner, and the principal part of Main street in the 
village of Middletown is said to be built on what was 
part of his farm, portions of which he donated for church 
and educational purposes. The first who came to this 
section located in what is now the town of Greenville, 
some time during the Revolutionary war. If w r e are 
informed rightly it was the wife of Daniel Green who 
met with an exciting adventure with the Indians during 
Brandt's last invasion of the Minisink Region. Her 
mother was fleeing across the mountain toward Finch- 
ville, carrying her in her arms, she being a small child 
at the time, during the terrible scenes of that ruthless 
invasion. The fright and alarm had extended even to 
the child and she kept crying continually. At this 
juncture the mother spied the Indians approaching, and 
hid behind a log under which she held the child, ex- 
pecting nothing but detection and death owing to the 
child's cries. But strange to relate, at this instant the 
child suddenly ceased crying; they were unnoticed by 
the savages, and escaped. 

His son, Charles S. Green, Esq., married Mary Wood- 
ward, sister of Ambrose Woodward, a descendant 
probably of Hezekiah Woodward, of Stonington, Conn. 
They had ten children — six sons and four daughters. 



160 



HISTORY OP THB MINISINK REGION. 



MEMBER OF CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION FROM MT. HOPE. 

1821 . . . Benjamin Woodward. 

STATE SENATOR FROM MOUNT HOPE. 

1827-30 . . . Benjamin Woodward. 

MEMBERS OF ASSEMBLY FROM MOUNT HOPE. 

(James Finch, Jr.'s terms of office will be found in 
Chapter XI.) 

1814-15 . • • Benjamin Woodward. 

1820-21 . . Benjamin Woodward. 

1826 . . . Benjamin Woodward. 

1840 . . . William S. Little. 

] 848 . . . Augustus P. Thompson. 

1854 . . . Andrew J. Mills. 

1856 . . . Andrew J. Mills. 

1862 . . . Harvey R. Cadwell. 

1863 . « . Charles S. Woodward. 



1864 



1866 



Charles S. Woodward. 



SCHOOL COMMISSIONER. 

B. F. Hill, 



NAMES OF THE SUPERVISORS AND TOWN CLERKS OF MOUNT 
HOPE FROM 1849 TO THE PRESENT TIME. 



SUPERVISORS. 

1849 — Aug. P. Thompson. 
1850— John K. Seybolt, 
1851— Wm. L. Reeve. 
1852— Win. L. Reeve. 
1853— Wm. S. Little. 
1854 — Horton Cor win. 
1855 — Horton Corwin. 
1856 — Algernon S. Dodge. 
1857 — Harvey R. Cadwell. 
1858— Harvey R. Cadwell. 



TOWN CLERKS. 

John K. Seybolt. 
Ferdinand Seybolt. 
Lebbeus L. Harding. 
Lebbeus L. Harding. 
Benjamin W. Dunning. 
Benjamin W. Dunning. 
Lewis W. Coleman. 
Adam Sinsabaugh. 
Ferdinand Seybolt. 
Lewis A, Seybolt. 



TOWN OF MOUNT HOPE. 



161 





SUPERVISORS. 


TOWN CLERKS 


1859- 


-Chas. S. Woodward. 


George Smith. 


1860- 


-John Mullock. 


George Smith. 


1861- 


-Israel Y. Green. 


George Smith. 


1862- 


-Chas. S. Woodward. 


George Smith. 


1863- 


-Chas. S. Woodward. 


George Smith. 


1864- 


-Chas. S. Woodward. 


Reuben Frazer. 


1865- 


-Chas. S. Woodward. 


Reuben Frazer. 


1866- 


-John Mullock. 


James M Clinton 



Town Meeting in 1849 was held at the house of -L. 
N. Styles, previous town records being lost. 

Population in 1855, 1,735, and in 1865, 1,977— an in- 
crease of 242. Number of acres of land assessed in the 
town in 1865, 16,576 ; assessed value thereof, $510,450 ; 
personal property, $123,424. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

TOWNS OF WAWAYANDA AND GREENVILLE. 

Wawayanda.— The causes which led to the forma- 
tion of this town from a part of the old town of Minisink 
are quite difficult to discern at the present time ; in fact 
like many another change in times past, it would per- 
haps puzzle the originators of the scheme themselves to 
account for it. It was doubtless the result of some 
political party movement, since its completion has not 
added materially to the welfare of the citizens of the 
two towns, in a pecuniary point of view. The legis- 
lature of the State in 1848 and 1849, conferred the 
power of erecting and dividing towns (previously held 
by the State) on the Board of Supervisors, and the 
division of Minisink was among the first that took place 
under the new act. At the Town Meeting in the spring 
of 1849, the following notice was given of an intention 
to apply for a division of the town : 

" Notice is hereby given that the undersigned free- 
holders of the town of Minisink, Orange county, will 
make application to the Board of Supervisors at their 
next annual meeting for the division of said town, to 
form a new town out of that part of the town compri- 
sing the first election district." 



TOWN OF WAWAYANDA. 163 

(SIGNED) 

Jacob Harding, Usher H. Case, 

David Carr, Martin L. Mapes, 

P. W. Sloat, Isaac Denton, 

J. S. Slawson, George W. Murray, 

Theophilus Dolsen, S. Sergeant* 

S. Stewart, T. B. Denton, 

Jonathan Bailey, Alfred Wood, 

Gabriel Little, D. T. Hulse, 

S. F. Gardiner, B. F. Bailey, 

R. A. Elmer, Hiram Phillips. 

The Board of Supervisors was composed as follows : 

D. H. Moffat, Chairman, Blooming Grove, Whig. 

Daniel Fullerton, Minisink, Whig. 

Augustus P. Thompson, Mount Hope, Whig. 

David Swartout, Deerpark, Whig. 

William V. N. Armstrong, Warwick, Whig. 

Morgan Shuit, Monroe, Whig. 

Odell S. Hathaway, Newburgh, Whig. 

William Jackson, Hamptonburgh, Whig. 

Lindley M. Ferris, Montgomery, Whig. 

Hezekiah Moffat, Chester, Whig. 

Augustus Thompson, Crawford, Democrat. 

Richard M. Yail, Goshen, Democrat. 

Abraham Yail, Jr., Wallkill, Democrat. 

James Denniston, Cornwall, Democrat. 

James R. Dickson, New Windsor, Democrat. 

On the 27th day of November (1849) the matter was 
brought before the Board on motion of Mr. Fullerton 
of Minisink, the petitioner for the division, the maps 
and survey of the proposed new town, made by Dr. D. 
C. Hallock, having been previously presented by him. 
He then proposed to name the town "Wawayanda," 



164 HISTORY OF THE MINISINK REGION. 

after the old Indian patent upon which it is located; 
the name being an Indian word, used by an Indian 
while standing on a hill, defining the boundaries^of the 
tract to the early settlers, and supposed to mean " way 
over yonder." 

Mr. Fullerton then moved the passage of the bill, 
which was seconded by Mr. Ferris, when the house was 
called by towns and voted as follows : 

Ayes— D. H. Moffat, Hezekiah Moffat, Lindley^M. 
Ferris, Daniel Fullerton, Wm. V. N. Armstrong, A. P. 
Thompson, David Swartout, William Jackson, Odell S. 
Hathaway, Morgan Shuit. 

Nays — R. M. Vail, Abraham Vail, Jr., James Dennis- 
ton, James R. Dickson, Augustus Thompson. 

It was therefore declared carried. 

The town is bounded on the east by the town of 
Goshen, south by Warwick and Minisink, west by 
Greenville, and north by Mount Hope and Wallkill. 
Rutger's creek forms part of the boundary line on the 
south, and the Wallkill on the east and south-east. 

The principal villages are, Hampton on .the Erie 
Railway, Ridgebury and Brookfield in the central 
part of the town, Gardnersville in the southern, and 
Millsburgh and Centreville in the south-western 
portion. 

Hampton is a small village owing its importance to the 
fact that it is the only station in the town on the rail- 
road. Its public buildings consist of a hotel, three 
stores, tin shop, &c. There are grist mills a short dis- 
tance below, at Phillipsburg, on the Wallkill ; also a 
hotel and store about half a mile south, at Denton. 

Ridgebury is said to have taken its name from the 
Presbyterian church first erected at that place, which 
was so called from the number of berries that grew on 



TOWN OF WAWAYANDA. 165 

a neighboring ridge, still known as " whortleberry hill." 
It is an old established place, and the site of the village 
was owned in 1800 by Benjamin Dunning, Jonathan 
Bailey, Benjamin Howell, Isaac Decker and others. 
John Dunken, killed at the battle of Minisink, was from 
this locality. John Hallock, Sr., James Hulse, Benj. 
Smith, Moses Overton, Noyes Wickham, Richard Ellison 
and Charles Durland, were early settlers in the neigh- 
borhood. The business part of the village at present is 
a hotel and store. 

Brookfield is undoubtedly named from its proximity 
to a brook, which nearly surrounds it. It was early 
settled, and before the construction of the Erie Railway 
was a place of some notoriety, having a printing office, 
grist mill, plaster mill, saw mill, tannery, &c. At pres- 
ent it has but one hotel and store. 

Gardnersville is named after Ira Gardner, who for- 
merly owned the mills and kept store at the place. It 
is situated on Rutger's kill, and has* a grist mill, saw 
mill and one or two stores. 

Millsburgh and Centreville are but a short distance 
apart, both situated on the outlet of the Binnewater 
pond. Millsburgh was formerly called Racine, after Mr. 
John Racine, who resided there. It is also known with 
Centreville as Wells' Corners. Two grist mills, two 
saw mills and two stores make up the business portion 
of the two places. 

OLD FAMILIES 07 WAWAYANDA. 

Hallock. — The ancestor of this family, John Hallock, 
Sr., came from England before the Revolutionary war. 
and settled at Mattatuck, Long Island. At the com- 
mencement of the war he was doing military duty on 



HISTORY OF Tff» MIKISINK R1GION. 

the Island, and left it when it was captured by the 
English. He then removed to Oxford, in Orange 
county, and was in the military service some time in 
the Highlands. His brother Daniel was acting as his 
substitute at the capture of Fort Montgomery in 1777, 
and narrowly escaped being taken prisoner. In 1783 
he purchased two hundred acres of land of John Scott, 
just south of the present village of Ridgebury. The 
land extended west and included the site of the village 
of Brookfield. He gave the lot upon which the Old 
School Baptist church stands in that place. Eager says 
(page 416) that when he was building his log cabin he 
fell short of nails, and in order to raise funds, traded off 
a good new hat for one of less value, and purchased the 
nails with the difference. His son, John Hallock, Jr., 
was a man of ability, and very quick witted, with a fund 
of perpetual good humor. These qualities brought him 
before the public, and he was elected to offices of 
various grades in the old town of Minisink (before its 
division) — Justice of the Peace, Town Clerk, and a 
number of terms as Supervisor, all of which duties he 
discharged with energy and integrity. He was after- 
ward elected twice a member of the State Legislature, 
also a member of the 19th and 20th Congresses. 
His former residence is now owned by Mr. Randall 
Stivers, of Ridgebury. His son, Dr. Dewitt C. Hallock, 
inherited a large share of his father's talents. He held 
two or three terms as Town Clerk of Minisink, and after 
the town of Wawayanda was set off, was elected Super- 
visor of the new town in 1852 and 1853. He was said 
to be a good surveyor, had an extensive practice as a 
physician, and was noted for his extraordinary powers 
as a violinist, in which he was said to excel any player 
in the State. 



TOWN OP WAWAYANDA. 167 

Dolsen. — This family is said to be of Dutch origin. 
Eager says (p. 412) that there is a family tradition to 
the effect that the first male child born in New Amster- 
dam (now New York) was a Dolsen. The first of the 
name in this town was Isaac Dolsen, who came from 
Fishkill, in Duchess county, in 1756, and purchased 
seven hundred acres in what is now known as Dolsen- 
town. He was a millwright by trade, and married Polly 
Huzzy of New Jersey. He died in 1795, leaving two 
children, James and Isaac. Isaac was never married. 
James married Phebe Meeker, and their children were 
James, Asa, Samuel, Polly and Abby. The Indians com- 
mitted some depredations hear Dolsentown in the 
French and Indian war. The wife of David Cooley, 
whose farm joined Dolsen's, was shot by the Indians 
between the oven and house, and tradition says that her 
blood, which bespattered the stones, remained there 
for years, resisting all efforts of the rain to wash it out. 
The scene of this tragedy is now owned by the heirs of 
Capt. John Cummings. 

Davis.— The original settler in this vicinity by that 
name was Joshua Davis, Sr., who settled on the farm 
now owned by Col. William C. Carpenter, about a mile 
and a-half south of Brookfield, some time previous to 
the year 1780. He built the stone dwelling-house on 
this farm about 1787, which would make it at the 
present time seventy-nine years old. It is still standing 
in good condition — a monument of the stability of old- 
time workmanship — and likely to remain so for years to 
come. Mr. Davis was the driver of the first vehicle on 
wheels that ever passed over the road from Goshen 
through Ridgebury. This was a rude two wheeled ox- 
cart, and no doubt was considered a great innovation by 
the few settlers in these parts, the road being then amere 



168 HISTORY OF THE MINISINK R1GIO*. 

path. He left four daughters and two sons — Joshua 
and James. Joshua married a daughter of Noah Terry, 
Esq., and James, a Mrs. Decker whose husband went to 
Nova Scotia after the conclusion of the Revolution. 
The only one of the daughters married, married Richard 
Ferguson, Esq., whose father was an early settler in 
this section and built the mills at Gardnersville now 
owned by C. W. Fowler, Esq. By this marriage they 
had eight children — five daughters and three sons. 
One daughter married George Jackson, Esq., and their 
descendants generally reside in the town. One married 

Charles Reeve, Esq., of Newburgh, one Ellison, 

Esq., and one Hoyle, Esq., whose descendants 

mostly reside in the State of Ohio. 

Lawrence Ferguson, Esq., married a daughter of 
Charles Durland, and at present resides in the town of 
Minisink. (For many of the above items relating to 
this family we are indebted to Miss Julia Ferguson, of 
Newburgh.) 

Joseph Davis, Esq., late President of the Middletown 
Bank, formerly Assemblyman from this district, and 
Supervisor of this town for several years, if we are 
informed correctly, is of another family. He married a 

daughter of Decker, Esq., of Minisink. The male 

line of his family became extinct a few months since by 
the death of his only son, Henry E. Davis, Esq. 

Denton. — Rev. Richard Denton was the first ancestor, 
and came to Boston, Massachusetts, with Gov. Winthrop, 
in the year 1630. He preached in Watertown, Mass.. 
and afterwards at Weathersfield and Stamford, Conn., 
until 1644, when he emigrated with a number of his 
congregation and commenced the settlement of Hemp- 
stead, Long Island. He was a graduate of Cambridge. 
England, and settled as minister of Coley Chapel, Hali- 



TOWN Or WAWAYANDA. 169 

fax, before coming to America. He returned to Eng- 
land and died there in 1662, aged seventy-six years. 
He left five sons — Richard, Samuel, Daniel, Nathaniel 
and John. John removed to Orange county. James, 
his son, had four sons — Amos, Thomas, William and 
John. The last named located on what was called the 
old Carpenter farm in Goshen. He had three wives 
and fourteen children. His first wife was Jane Fisher, 
of Long Island; his second, Elizabeth Wisner, daughter 
of Henry Wisner, Esq., of Wallkill ; and his third, Mary 
Gale, daughter of Hezekiah Gale, who lived near what 
is now called Lagrange. One of his daughters married 
Jason Wilkin, of the last named place. Before what 
is now known as the village of Denton came into the 
possession of the Denton family, Thaddeus B. and 
Henry W, Denton, it was called the Outlet. Elisha 
Eldridge, from New England, built a store and tavern 
there (the first) about the commencement of the Revo- 
lution. Previous to that time it was owned by Richard 
Carpenter. It is now mostly owned by Theodore J. 
Denton, and Reuben C. Mead, who married a sister of 
Theodore's. At present they are probably among 
the wealthiest citizens of the town. 

Howell. — In 1800 an early settler by the name of 
Benjamin Howell resided near Ridgebury, but we 
believe that at present none of his descendants are 
living in the town. John Howell, a brother of his, 
must have moved to this town at about the year' 1778. 
He was an old sailor — had been on one or two whaling 
voyages to the Arctic Regions, besides numerous trips 
to other shores " before the mast" of a merchantman. 
He also served as a soldier in the Continental army 
during the war of the Revolution. He was in the bat- 
tle of Minisink. 1779, and among the few that escaped. 



170 HISTOBY OP THE MINISINK BEG10N, 

Before coming to this town he had resided at what is 
known as Sugar Loaf, in the town of Warwick. He 
died in 1790, leaving six children, and was buried at the 
corners, about two miles below Ridgebury, where for 
years his grave, solitary and alone among the bushes, 
was a sort of sacred spot to the passer by. Since then 
others of his connection have gone to their long rest 
near him, and the whole, ornamented with tasteful 
monuments and enclosed with a substantial iron fence, 
now forms one of the most beautiful cemeteries in the 
town. 

One of his daughters married Reuben Cash, another 
John Roberts, another Eliphalet Stickney, and one, 
Hepsibah, remained unmarried. The homestead was 
kept by his two sons, John and Jeffrey. Jeffrey mar- 
ried a daughter of Peter Cor win, Esq., and had seven 
children ; but by a strange fatality, all died with the 
consumption before attaining the age of thirtj^-two 
years. Jeffrey died in 1837. 

John Howell, Jr., married the widow of Moses Knapp, 
and sister of Alanson Kimball, Esq., but she was acci- 
dentally drowned, while crossing the outlet of Binne- 
water pond, near Pine Ridge, in search of herbs for 
some medicinal purpose, June 24th, 1834 ; having been 
married scarce a year. The male line of this family 
has become extinct with the death of this last survivor 
of the family. 

Cash. — This family has also become extinct, by the 
death of James M. Cash, Jr. Reuben Cash, the first 
mentioned in old annals, was a survivor of the Wyoming 
Massacre, 1778. He escaped with his mother, and she 
led him by the hand through the wilderness to Minisink, 
he being a small boy at the time. He married a daugh- 
ter of John Howell, Sr., and had nine children. One of 



TOWN OF WAWAYANDA.. 171 

his daughters married Roswell Mead, another married 
Samuel Vail, Sr., another married John E. S. Gardner, 
and another married Parmenas Horton. Merit H. Cash 
kept the old homestead. He married a daughter of 
Joseph Davis, Esq., but had no children. James M. 

Cash, Sr., married a daughter of White, Esq., by 

whom he had one son, who died young, and in whom 
the name of Cash became extinct as first mentioned. 
John Morris Cash married a daughter of Ira Gardner, 
Esq. Solomon Y. R. Cash married a daughter of 
Joseph Davis, Esq. Selah Cash died quite young, and 
was never married. 

Merit H. adopted the profession of a physician, and 
became quite a successful one. He held various civil 
offices in the old town of Minisink before its division, 
and was elected three times a member of the New 
York Legislature. 

Stickney. — William Stickney, the first of the name of 
whom we have any knowledge, settled at Rowley, Mas- 
sachusetts, in 1639. One of the name held a colonel's 
commission in the Revolutionary war, and was at the 
battle of Bennington under Gen. Stark, as mentioned in 
Eastman's History of New York (page 230). Eliphalet 
Stickney, son of Dr. James Stickney, of Newburgh, was 
the earliest resident of this vicinity, and married a 
daughter of John Howell, Sr. They had eight children, 
Erastus, Charles, John, Benjamin, William, Julia, Harriet 
and Charlotte. The family afterwards removed west, 
except Erastus and Julia. Erastus married a daughter 
of Prentice Allyn, Esq., of Sullivan county. He was 
elected to various civil offices in the town of Minisink 
before its division, and was elected a member of the 
New York legislature from Wawayanda in 1857. 

Mead. — Roswell Mead removed to this town, we be- 



172 HISTORY OF THE MINISINK RIGION. 

lieve, from New England. He purchased the farm near 
Brookfield (previously owned by Festus A. Webb, who 
bought it of Richard Wood, father of Oliver E. and 
Lewis C. Wood,) now owned by William H. Wood. He 
married a daughter of Reuben Cash, by whom he had 
six children. He was elected Supervisor, and held 
various offices in the town of Minisink, and was also 
elected a member of the New York legislature in 1842. 
His sons William H. and Reuben C, still reside in the 
town. William married a daughter of Joseph Davis, 
and Reuben, a daughter of Theodorus Denton. 

Durland. — Charles Durland, the first resident of the 
town of this name, emigrated to the town some time 
previous to the year 1800. He first settled near Bush- 
ville, in the present town of Greenville, when the whole 
vicinity was a dense forest, and the only road from there 
to Ridgebury was a narrow path among the brush. He 
moved from there to near Ridgebury, and for a time 
kept a public house on the premises now owned by 
Gilbert H. Budd. In 1800 he resided on the farm now 
owned by his son, Thomas T. Durland. Daniel and 
Stewart T. Durland, of Greenville, and Addison Dur- 
land, of Minisink, are also sons of his. The family is 
reputed to be very ancient, and of unswerving fidelity to 
the cause of Independence during Revolutionary times. 
Holbert. — Peter Holbert, Sr., is the first mentioned 
in old records. He was elected a member of the New 
York legislature in 1812, Supervisor of the town of 
Minisink in 1813, and Town Clerk for one or two terms. 
His son, Peter Holbert, Jr., married a daughter of Wm. 
Robertson, and sister of James F. Robertson. 

Tooker. — We are not informed of the exact date the 
pioneers of this family first came to the town. Samuel 
Tooker, surveyor, married Catherine, daughter of James 



TOWN OP WAWAYANDA. 173 

Finch, Si\, of Mount Hope, and is the first we have any 
knowledge of. His son, Charles Tooker, settled near 
Brookfield, and left two sons, James H. and Samuel S. 
Tooker. His daughter Julia married James F. Vail, 
who at present resides on the old homestead near Brook- 
field. Henry Tucker was elected Town Clerk of Mini- 
sink in 1791 and 1792, and Supervisor from 1799 to 
1807; but as the name is spelled differently, we presume 
him to have been of another family. 

Reed. — This is an old established family, of the exact 
date of whose settlement in the town we are not in- 
formed. Samuel Reed, Sr., (his father being the origi- 
nal settler,) died but a few years ago, at a very advanced 
age. His widow died a few months since, and though 
a very aged lady, was possessed of a remarkable mem- 
ory. She distinctly recollected seeing the people go to 
the Minisink battle in 1779. Three of her neighbors 
met under an apple tree for that purpose, near her 
father's house, and though very small at the time, she 
remembered the parting scene plainly. Two of them 
perished in the battle, we believe. Daniel Reed was 
killed in the battle; whether a relative or not is not 
known. 

Wickham. — This family is quite numerous in the 
town, and are believed to be mostly descendants of 
Noyes Wickham, who lived near Ridgebury in 1800. 

Reeve. — The first of the name mentioned in old 
records is James Reeve, who escaped from the battle of 
Minisink with a broken arm. Two of his sons, James 
M. and John H., still reside in the town. John H. 
Reeve was elected Supervisor of Wawayanda from 1861 
to 1866. 

MEMBER OF ASSEMBLY FROM WAWAYANDA. 

1857 . . . . . Erastus Stickney. 



174 



HISTORY OP TH1 MIMISINK R1GION. 



NAMES OF SUPERVISORS AND TOWN CLERKS OF WAWAYANDA 
FROM ITS ORGANIZATION IN 1849 TO 1866. 



SUPERVISORS. 

1850— Daniel Fullerton. 
1851— Daniel Fullerton. 
1852— De witt C. Hallock. 
1853— Dewitt C. Hallock 
1854 — Joseph Davis. 
1855 — Joseph Davis. 
1856— Gideon W. Cock. 
1857 — Joseph Davis. 
1858 — Joseph Davis. 
1859 — Joseph Davis. 
1860 — Joseph Davis. 
1861— John H. Reeve. 
1862— John H. Reeve. 
1863— John H. Reeve. 
1864— John H. Reeve. 
1865— John H. Reeve. 
1866— John H. Reeve. 



TOWN CLERKS. 

Holloway W. Stephens. 
Oliver Lewis. 
Oliver Lewis. 
Oliver Lewis. 
Oliver Lewis. 
James F. Robertson. 
Wilmot C. Terry. 
Wilmot C. Terry. 
Mathew H. Bailey. 
John M. Howell. 
John M. Howell. 
James L. Mills. 
John M. Howell. 
John M. Howell. 
Oliver Lewis. 
William H. Wood. 
Charles E. Stickney. 



The first town meeting was held at D. C. Hallock's, 
Brookfield. 

Population in 1855, 2,069; and in 1865, 1,906— a de- 
crease of 163. 

Number of acres of land assessed in 1865, 19,677; 
assessed value, $706,250; personal property, $100,770. 

TOWN OF GREENVILLE. 

The records of this town are somewhat deficient in 
regard to its early formation. The census of 1855 dates 
its organization in 1850; but we are inclined to consider 
it an error, because the first town meeting in the new 
town is shown by the records to have been held in 1854. 



TOWN OP GREENVILLE. 



175 



The town being erected by the Board of Supervisors, it 
was most probably done at their annual meeting in the 
fall of the previous year (Dec. 3, 1853.) At that time 
the Board of Supervisors was composed of the following 
gentlemen, viz.: 



Albert A. Seymour, 
Dewitt C. Hallock, 
Samuel J. Farnum, 
Morgan Shuit, 
Henry C. Seeley, 
Calvin Gardner, 
J. H. McLaughlin, 
Stephen Rapelje, 
Vincent Booth, 
John Denniston, 
Edward L. Norris, 
William S. Little, 



Minisink. 

Wawayanda. 

Newburgh. 

Monroe. 

Warwick. 

Goshen. 

Blooming Grove. 

Montgomery. 

Hamptonburgh. 

Cornwall. 

Warwick. 

Mount Hope. 

Deerpark. 
Halstead Sweet, . . Wallkill. 

The motives that- prompted its formation, and the 
prime movers of it, are alike unknown to us. It was 
formed from Minisink, Mount Hope and Deerpark; and 
in 1855 had a population of 1,218; and in 1865, 1,147 — 
a decrease of 41. We are ignorant of the origin of its 
name, but presume it was named Greenville from its 
situation — lying as it does mostly along the sunny slopes 
of the eastern side of Shawangunk Mountain, the fields 
of which are covered with green verdure the earliest in 
the year. The name was first applied to a small village 
near the foot of the mountain; afterwards used in giving 
a name to the new town. It is bounded on the north 
by Mount Hope and Deerpark, on the east by Minisink 
and Wawayanda, on the south by the State of New 
Jersey, and on the west by Deerpark, Its principal 



176 HISTORY OF THE MINISINK REGION. 

streams are Indigot creek, the source of Rutger's creek, 
Binnewater pond and its outlet, and the source of Sha- 
wangunk kill. 

The principal village of the town is Greenville, situa- 
ted in the central part, on the road leading from Goshen 
to Carpenter's Point. The road crosses the Shawan- 
gunk, the northwest boundary of the town, at this place. 
For some time after its first settlement it was called 
Minisink village. At present it consists of a hotel, store, 
two churches, &c. Bushville and Centre Point are 
small villages, but at present no business is carried on 
in them of any importance. 

We are not possessed of much information in regard 
to the old families of the town. The section of country 
it includes was undoubtedly not settled as early as some 
of the more favored localities. For this reason proba- 
bly its population is mostly made up of the descendants 
of old established families in adjoining towns. Timothy 
Wood, probably one of the earliest settlers, was a signer 
of the Revolutionary pledge in 1775, and his name is 
mentioned as holding various offices in the early history 
of the town of Minisink. Arthur Van Tuyle was a 
signer of the pledge of 1775, and after the organization 
of the town of Minisink the first town meeting was held 
at his house, April, 1789. Jacob Quick, Solomon Cuy- 
kendall, Moses Cortright, Peter Cole and others, who 
signed the pledge, were probably from this section. 

SCHOOL COMMISSIONER FROM GREENVILLE. 

1859 . . . Harvey H. Clark. 

JUSTICES OF SESSIONS FROM GREENVILLE. 

1862 . . . Stewart T. Durland. 

1863 . . . Stewart T. Durland. 

1864 . . Stewart T. Durland. 

1865 . . , Stewart T. Durland. 



TOWN OF GREENVILLE. 



177 



NAMES OF SUPERVISORS AND TOWN CLERKS OF GREENVILLE 
FROM ITS ORGANIZATION IN 1853 TO 1866. 



SUPERVISORS. 

1854— Timothy Wood. 
1855— Timothy Wood. 
1856— Isaac M. Seybolt, 
1857— Isaac M. Seybolt, 
1858— Isaac M. Seybolt, 
1859 — Jesse V. Myers. 
1 860— Isaac M. Seybolt, 
1861 — Jesse V. Myers. 
1862— Stewart T. Durland. 
1863— Stewart T. Durland. 
1864— Isaac M. Seybolt. 
1865— Harvey H. Clark. 
1866— Harvey H. Clark. 



TOWN CLERKS. 

Isaac Winters. 
Harvey H. Clark. 
W. L. Clark. 
Alfred L. Clark. 
Leonard Bell, Jr. 
Harvey H. Clark. 
Harvey H. Clark. 
Stoddard W. Slawson. 
Albert Shute. 
Albert Shute. 
Ezra T. Durland. 
William B. Jenks. 
Samuel W. Reed. 



First town meeting was held at the house of Jona- 
than Wood, Bushville, 1854. 

Number of acres of land assessed in 1865 — 18,287; 
assessed value, $385,600; personal property. $49,850. 

8* 



CHAPTER XIV. 

GREYCOURT INN ; OR, THE SCOURGE OF THE HIGHLANDS. 

A venerable old building was the " Old Greycourt," 
as the old inn was known in those days of troublous 
times that marked the period of the Revolutionary 
struggle. 

Situated on the main road leading from New Jersey 
to the eastern part of Orange county, on the edge of 
the low, rich, flat meadow lands that extend into the 
township of Chester ; and owning for its proprietor an 
old pioneer of the country, Daniel Cromline, who had 
founded it in 1716, it could not fail of being popular. 
Many a jovial revel had the old house seen in those wild 
stormy days of Indian warfare ; and many a trying time 
too, since the stout hearts that beat obedience to Wash- 
ington had ranged themselves against the troopers of 
old King George. Many a dark redskin had the old 
goose, that was painted as large as life on the swinging 
sign, seen pass beneath her shadow for a drink of the 
fire-water, and many a true patriot had she seen pledge 
a comrade with undying friendship in a last glass at the 
familiar bar, before departing for the army ; where, per- 
haps, some Hessian bullet had quickly closed his career. 
The old goose, too, had a history, for it was said to have 



GREYCOURT INN. 170 

supplied a name for the inn. When the house was first 
built, it became necessary, according to custom, to place 
above the door the arms of royalty ; and the proprietor, 
in doing so, had the picture of the white goose placed 
beside it, because of its proximity to Goose Pond Lake. 
At first almost a thing of life, it fairly threatened to take 
wing and join its wild kindred of the wilderness ; but, 
alas, the colors only seemed to' vanish with the sun, rain, 
and storm of years, until at last, wondrously grey, and 
with a countenance marvelously weather-beaten, the 
antique old goose looked down upon the throng of cus- 
tomers that still passed beneath her wing. The rebel- 
lion against the authority of England caused the sign to 
become the butt of endless jokes and gibes by the 
patriotic. Not at the old goose, for she was too national 
a bird to be sneered at, but at the coat of arms by her 
side, which, for a time, was called " Grey Coat," and 
then changed to " Grey Court," by which appellation 
the house became known far and wide. The building- 
was constructed for durability ; and that it met the end 
aimed at may be known by the fact that it stood for a 
space of one hundred and sixteen years. But it has 
now passed away, in common with the hearts that 
planned, and the hands that built it. The man that 
stood behind the bar, the man that stood upon the other 
side, the lounger that hung around its hall all the day 
long, and the young man who affected the beau, wore 
his hat so jauntily, and talked and laughed with the 
pretty maids of all work, have all gone to the silence of 
oblivion. Their little likes and dislikes, that so agitated 
their bosoms ; their hopes, fears, troubles and disap- 
pointments ; the good they have done, and the bad, 
might as well have been buried with their bones, for all 
that is known, felt, or cared for now, 



UO BISTORT OF TH1 MINISHfr RBGIOM. 

A goodly company is assembled in the bar-room as 
we glance into it this pleasant evening, away back 
through the years that have flown since November of 
the year 1778. They are not talking of the war, though 
the liberty of America is being chipped from the 
granite power of England daily. No — something of 
new interest engages them. 

" So they have got him safe at last," said a plethoric, 
middle-aged man, in a drab coat and lap stone hat. 

" Yes," replied an old man, in a kind of voice like a 
person just rescued from some great danger. " and I'm 
glad of it ; folks can sleep now of nights, and not be 
afraid of getting their throats cut before morning by 
Claudius Smith." 

"He ain't going to stretch hemp a bit too soon for 
the good of society," observed a third.* 

"Yet he had some good qualities about him, in spite 
of what people say," commenced a cleanly looking old 
man, as he took a pinch of snuff from a ponderous box 
of the kind, the lid of which was shut with an experi- 
enced tap. "You remember Col. McClaughry, that 
was taken prisoner by the British at the capture of 
Fort Montgomery, in October of last year. Well, they 
took him to New York and locked him up with the rest, 
and, it seems, didn't treat him very well. So they gave 
him leave to write home for some things he wanted, or 
some money to get them with. His wife hadn't got 
any, so she went over to Abimal Youngs' to borrow 
some ; but Abimal said he had none, though every one 
knew he was as rich as a Jew. It was a pretty tough 
case — her husband starving in that cursed prison- 
house, and she not able to get him anything. It made 
quite a talk, and everybody who knew her felt sorry 
for her ; but that didn't help the matter. She sold her 



GREYCOURT INN. 181 

shoe-buckles and other ornaments, but that didn't go a 
great way. By and by it came to Claudius Smithes 
ears, and one night he went to old Abiinal's house, 
determined to get the money for her. His men took 
Abimal out of doors, and threatened to hang him if he 
didn't tell where his money was. He wouldn't, so they 
put a rope round his neck, tied it to the well-pole, and 
slung him up. After he had hung a moment, they let 
him down, and again demanded his money, knowing he 
had some somewhere. But he still refused, clinging to 
his money in preference to his life, so they again hung 
him up. However, they could'nt make him tell, so at 
last they let him go. Determined to inflict some loss. 
they carried off his deeds, mortgages, &c, and he never 
got them again." 

"And served him right," said the man with the lap- 
stone hat. "But I always heard that his father was 
always called a bad kind of man around Brookhaven, on 
Long Island, where Claudius was born. And still more 
so after he moved to McKnight's Mills, down by Smith's 
Clove, as it was called — a little west of the highlands in 
the Ramapo valley. Once, when the old man was 
returning home from the mountains, where he had been 
to carry some provisions to Claudius and his gang of 
tories who were secreted there, the scouts who were 
watching for them, espied him and fired at him. The 
horse he rode was killed, but he escaped. Before he 
died, too, they say he got mightily cross and ill-willed ; 
and after he got so, he could not move without his cane, 
would strike with it at everybody that came near him ; 
and was known to follow his wife around the room for 
the purpose of hitting her with it. Ah, it was in the 
breed for them to be rogues. When Claudius was a 



182 HISTORY OF THE MINISINK REGION. 

boy, he was such a vicious, ugly fellow, that his mother 
said to him : 

" ' Claudius, you will die like a trooper's horse, with 
your shoes on.' " 

"He was a cursed Tory besides, and no longer than 
last year, he was in Goshen jail for stealing beef cattle 
from the government. They thought he would be safer 
in Kingston jail, but while moving him, he got away. 
But he won't get away now, I guess ; they keep him 
manacled and heavily chained, and have parties guard- 
ing him night and day, with instructions to shoot him 
if a rescue is attempted, or if he tries to escape." 

" Oh, he'll swing for it now, no doubt," said the snuff- 
taker, again resorting to his box for a fresh pinch. " But 
then he has some good traits, as I said before. For 
instance, there is Major Bodle's adventure. About the 
time of the capture of Fort Montgomery, he was making 
his way from that place towards home, when, in the 
morning, he met Claudius Smith, hailed him with a 
friendly good-morning, calling him by name, and shaking 
hands with him. After inquiring as to the news from 
the fort, &c, he continued — 

" l Mr. Bodle, you are weary with walking, go to my 
house yonder (pointing to a place off the road) and tell 
my wife to get you some breakfast. Tell her I sent 
you.' " 

" The Major made believe to accept the offer, and 
thanked him with much kindness ; but as soon as he 
was out of sight, he struck a bee-line for home, and 
hardly paused to look around till he had almost reached 
there." 

" Perhaps," said the man with the timid voice, who 
had indulged in a bit of a snooze, and just aroused him- 
self in time to hear the Major's adventure, " perhaps he 



GREYCOUBT INN. 183 

was only trying to get him off the main road, while he 
robbed him. I wouldn't have trusted him either ; only 
think how he served Col. Jesse Woodhull. The Col. 
never harmed him or any of his men, yet he swore he 
would kill him, Nathaniel Strong, Cole Curtis and 
Samuel Strong. Then after all, when the Colonel saved 
his life by not shooting him when he had a chance, see 
how the ungrateful fellow used him. The Colonel did 
not dare sleep in his own house for months, for fear of 
his fulfilling the threat. He then threatened to steal a 
mare the Colonel thought a great deal of. In order to 
save her, the Colonel had her brought into the cellar of 
his house, yet this same Claudius Smith you're praising 
so, lurking devil that he was, watched his opportunity, 
and when the Colonel and his family were at tea, boldly 
slipped the mare from the cellar, though in broad day- 
light, and the first intimation the unconscious inmates 
had of their nearness to danger was the yell of defiance 
given by the highwayman as he rode off his stolen prize. 
A gentleman present at the table sprang to his rifle, 
and as the robber was still in easy range, leveled it at 
him, but Woodhull knocked aside his arm, so great was 
his fear of the rascal, saying, 'For heaven's sake, don't 
fire ; if you miss him, he will kill me.' Not yet content, 
this merciless Tory came to his house again on the 
night of October 6th, only last month, for the purpose 
of robbing and murdering the Colonel and his family, 
for nothing in particular, only because Woodhull was 
such a ' darned rebel,' as he said. Their intended vic- 
tim was fortunately away, doing duty in the American 
army, as he is now. The Colonel's wife, hearing them 
coming, hid her silver ware and other articles of value 
in the cradle, and placed her child upon them. When 
the gang broke open the door, and all the time they 



184 HISTORY OF THB MINISINK REGION. 

were searching the house, she busied herself in trying 
to keep her child still. It deceived them and saved 
her goods. They did not get a great deal of plunder. 
The child was quite a bit of a girl, large enough to talk, 
and she asked her mother if they were going to steal 
her calico dress. They stole the horse of Luther Conk- 
lin, who had been "staying at the Colonel's, and went off. 
The same night, they went to Major Nathaniel Strong's 
house about 12 o'clock, when they were all asleep, and 
broke in the outside door, and a panel out of the inner 
door, connecting with the Major's bedroom. This 
alarmed the Major, who came out of his room armed 
with his pistols and gun. As soon as he entered the 
inside room, he was fired at through the window, but 
was not hit. His assailants then promised that if he 
would give up his arms, they would not harm him. As 
he was in their power, and could do but little less, he 
resolved to rely upon their promises, and accordingly 
put down his gun, and advanced towards the door as if 
to open it. But their hearts were callous to broken 
promises and the influence of mercy. Ere he had 
reached it, they fired through the broken panel, and he 
expired without speaking a word — pierced through the 
heart by two of the faithless Tory's bullets. Leaving 
the murdered corpse with the terror-stricken family, 
they decamped, taking with them his saddle and bridle. 
And yet, some men will contend that they had good 
traits in their characters. A fig for such talk, I say," 
and the voice that had become really eloquent with 
earnestness again lowered to its old timid tone, and the 
speaker sank back in his chair, as if having said his say, 
he was ready for another snooze. 

During the latter part of the narration of these inci- 
dents, which, being familiar to all, they knew to be true. 



GREYCOURT INN. 185 

the snuff-taker had waxed uneasy, and began to snuff 
with increased vehemence ; and on its conclusion, he 
broke out with — 

"I didn't praise Claudius Smith; I said he had some 
good points about his disposition, and I've always heard 
it said that much of that he stole from the rich he gave 
to the poor. I say he has a humane heart, and I can 
back up my opinion too, call me a tory or what you 
will." 

11 It must have been a mighty small one, since so few 
people ever found it out," said he of the timid voice. 

"Never mind, gentlemen," said the landlord, laugh- 
ing, "you needn't either one get your back up about 
your opinions. They are good enough without any 
backing. If you'll just keep still a little while t I'll tell 
you a story about Edward Roblin, one of the most noted 
of Claudius' gang ; in fact his right hand man. They 
say he knows where all the caves and secret retreats 
are in Smith's Clove and along the Ramapo, and where 
he has buried the gold and silver he has stolen. Well, 
I've been told that when a boy, none was thought more 
honest or better behaved than he. And the way he 
got to be a freebooter and tory was a little romantic, to 
say the least. He worked down toward the river from 
here, for an old man by the name of Price. A mere 
boy when he first came there, he proved such a hard- 
working, steady, trustworthy little fellow, that the old 
farmer was glad to keep him on, and so he staid, and 
worked, and delved, till he grew at last to be a tall 
handsome lad, and all the girls cast sidelong glances at 
him in church, and felt pleased when he spoke or nod- 
ded to them, and thought how proud they would be if 
some good looking manly form, like this, should stand 
beside them some pleasant evening, and put a tiny ring 



186 HISTORY OP THH MINISINK REGION. 

upon their finger before the priest, thereby sealing both 
in bonds for life. Now this employer had an only 
daughter who had grown up to womanhood at the same 
time as himself, being about the same age. Beautiful 
when a child, she lost none of her sweetness with her 
years, but seemed rather to increase in angelic purity 
and loveliness. Her form and features were among the 
most perfect works of nature, and when she added to it 
those many little artificial attractions that females know 
so well how to use, and the blandishment of a clear 
silvery voice, all attuned to melody and love — woe, woe 
to the susceptible heart, of lord or peasant, that 
rendered itself liable to this grand combination of 
charms. This young couple did not fall in love with 
each other, for that was impossible ; since they had 
loved when children, and it had been strengthening 
with their growth, year by year. But young Roblin 
was poor ; and when he at last spoke to old Price about 
marriage, it resulted just as he expected. The old man 
locked his weeping daughter in her bedroom up stairs, 
and forbade her ever speaking to the young man again. 
But he didn't discharge Roblin, and the result was just 
what he might have expected, but didn't. One morn- 
ing he rose early, and as was usual called to Roblin, 
but no Roblin answered ; so after a little while he 
opened the bedroom door, but no Roblin was there, and 
the bed bore the appearance of having been slept in 
but about half the night. He at once mistrusted the 
cause, and at the instant started for his daughter's 
room. Her bed bore the same appearance ; and the 
open window, and, when the old farmer looked out of it 
the sight of his long ladder reaching from the ground to 
the casement, its rounds wet with dew and sparkling in 
the early morning light, at once explained the mystery. 



GREYCOURT INN. 187 

He hurried down stairs and out to his stables, but Rob- 
lin had been too honest for his own safety — the horses 
were there. ' Forgad,' quoth old Price, ' I'll have them 
yet; for,' thought he, 'they've gone to the minister's on 
foot, and that's some miles, — they won't get there much 
before noon, and,' cried the old fellow chuckling, ' by 
that time I'll be there, too.' 

" He lost no time in mounting on horseback, and was 
off for the Squire's in a twinkling. Here he procured a 
warrant for Roblin's arrest for debt, on account of some 
money he had advanced him, in reality for work done. 
He next found the constable, and placing the document 
in his hands the two worthies sped off for the dominie's. 
He didn't arrive there a whit too soon, for Roblin and 
his bride had just taken their places before the good man 
as they burst into the room. 

" ' Ha ! ha ! my pretty birds, I've caught you, have 1/ 
yelled the old man as he grasped his daughter's arm. 
1 You thought to catch a weasel asleep, did you ?' 

" At first Roblin thought of resistance, but he dare not 
resist the authority of the law; so he gave his betrothed 
a farewell kiss, and quietly submitting was soon on his 
way to a cell in Goshen jail, and his mourning sweet 
one traveling sorrowfully homeward with her cruel 
father. The law, you know, is unusually severe for the 
nonpayment of debt, so Roblin lay in limbo, month in 
and month out, with no signs of release. He procured 
a violin, was soon a good player, and in that amusement 
passed much of his time. On the still pleasant evenings, 
crowds of the young people of the village would gather 
underneath his window, to listen to the varied airs of 
delicious melody that floated on the clear air from out 
the bars of his grated cell. And as the slippered 
feet of the fair village maids kept time to the measured 



188 HISTORY OP THE MINISINK REGION. 

cadence of the music, their eyes often glanced up 
toward its source, anxious to catch a glimpse of the 
handsome sad face of the player, the story of whose dis- 
appointment in love they all knew. His betrothed, 
unable to withstand the constant commands and urgings 
of her tyrant father, at last yielded to his solicitations, 
and married the man he chose; though it was a current 
saying of the old dames in the neighborhood, that he 
had taken her from her betters, and given her to her 
inferiors. When the news was taken to young Roblin, 
in prison, you may be sure he felt bad enough; and it 
was a long time before the music of his violin was heard 
outside the grated walls. Even when it was again 
heard, its strains were so melancholy and touching, so 
expressive of a sorrowful heart, that many a maiden's 
heart beat with sympathy for the imprisoned lover. 
The pretty daughter of the jail-keeper, when she took 
the dinner to the prisoners, always handed in the fullest 
plate at the door of his cell, and the jailor himself, when 
he went his rounds at night, spoke a kind word through 
the grate of the door in passing by. Interest began to 
be taken by influential citizens toward procuring his 
discharge, and everybody was anxious to have some- 
thing done for him. But he did not wait their kind 
offices. One morning the jailor espied the door of the 
jail wide open, and on entering found the cell of Rob- 
lin empty. He had evidently escaped by the help of 
some outsider. An inspection of his own dwelling 
revealed the cause of his escape, and also the fact, that 
his demure daughter who had taken such an interest 
in the prisoner, had no doubt become herself the pris- 
oner of love, and flown with her lover to the realms of 
bliss. But what was still worse, when her father visited 
his stables, he found that Roblin had not forgotten the 



GREYCOURT INN. 189 

horse this time, for the stall of his beautiful chestnut 
gelding was empty, with the exception of a limb from 
the chestnut tree in the yard, which was tied to the 
manger with this inscription, in large letters on an old 
paper: 

1 My Dear Father-in-Law — As you will be when you 
see this, pardon the liberty I have taken in exchanging 
horses with you, though you must conclude yourself 
there was no great difference ; I acknowledge this is a 
horse of another color, still as yours was a chestnut 
horse, the exchange is fair, for this is a horse chestnut. 
It's the best legacy I can leave you at present, coupled 
with the best wishes of Edward Roblin.' 

" The jailor took it quite hard for a time, but people 
said he grieved more for the loss of his steed than his 
daughter; since, as soon as she disappeared, all the vil- 
lage dames suddenly discovered her to have been a con- 
ceited, shiftless minx, and fit for nobody but a scape- 
grace like Roblin. Nothing was heard of him for a long 
time after, till at last he suddenly appeared among the 
band of outlaws headed by " The Scourge of the High- 
lands/' and by his daring villainies soon won a reputation 
second only to his chief. The man that wedded old 
Price's daughter turned out to be a poor miserable fel- 
low, and soon abandoned her and was never heard of 
more. Disappointed, cruelly forsaken, and heart sick, 
she returned to her father's house. The doctors could 
do nothing to relieve her depression of spirits, and she 
rapidly went into a decline, lingered awhile and died, 
the neighbors said, of a broken heart." * * 

For a moment after the conclusion of the story, the 
utmost silence was observed. Its simple details awoke 
a more than ordinary feeling in the rough breasts of the 
auditors. The snuff taker, who had become so interested 



190 HISTORY OF THH JCUtlSINK REGION. 

in the narrative as to forget the pinch he held idly be- 
tween his thumb and finger, was the first to break the 
pause : 

" A curious story, truly. Edward Roblin — let me see 
— why that's the one that headed the band when they 
stole the muskets and pewter plates from the American 
army wagons. My brother was with the scouts that 
pursued them. They took with them a rich booty that 
time. Among other things, my brother said they had a 
solid silver stand, which it was thought they had stolen 
from an English officer. The scouts got pretty close to 
them, and many shots were exchanged as they caught 
glimpses of each other among the rocks and bushes. 
One of the robbers was shot in the glens of the Clove, 
and they say was never buried. The last time I heard 
from there, his white bones still lay glistening among 
the rocks. The muskets and plates it is thought were 
hid in one of their secret caves in the Clove, but the 
stand was no doubt sunk in a spring in the vicinity. 7 ' 

" This murder of Major Strong," said the man with 
the lapstone ha,t, breaking in as soon as the latter 
speaker paused to take a pinch of snuff, " This murder 
of Major Strong was what put a stop to them." 

" Have you heard the particulars of the capture of 
Claudius ?" interrupted the man with the frightened 
voice. 

" Yes; you know Major Strong was a pretty popular 
man, and his murder began to make the authorities 
wake up a little. The Assembly of the State took 
action on the subject, and on the 31st of last month, ac- 
cording to their resolution, Gov. Clinton came out with 
a proclamation, declaring Smith and his sons outlaws, 
and offering a reward of $1200 for the capture of Clau- 
dius, and $600 each for his sons Richard and James* 



GREYCOURT INN. 191 

This was just the thing. The chance for getting money 
■inspired many with a sudden zeal for the apprehension 
of the robbers, who had hitherto been indifferent about 
it. Claudius was a cunning dog, and knew the effect 
money would have on the cupidity of many, and per- 
haps on some of his own gang; so he fled to New York, 
and from there went to a secret retreat on Long Island. 
Among other Whig families who moved to Connecticut 
when the British took possession of the Island, was a 
wealthy farmer — John Brush. He left his landed prop- 
erty in the care of tenants, once in a while secretly vis- 
iting the Island to see that it was taken care of properly. 
While there he accidentally found out that Claudius 
Smith was in the same neighborhood. He knew of the 
rewards offered for his arrest, so he immediately went 
over to Connecticut and informed a friend of his, one 
Titus. Titus was a large, powerful, resolute man, and 
just the one for such an undertaking. Procuring the 
services of three other men, one dark night, armed with 
muskets and pistols, they crossed the sound in a whale 
boat and landed in a small bay that puts into the Island. 
Hauling the boat up on the sand they left it in charge 
of one of their number, and the rest proceeded to the 
house (a tavern) about a mile distant, where Smith was 
putting up. A light was burning, and the party entered 
noiselessly. The landlady, who knew Major Brush, was 
sitting before the fire. Brush asked her if Claudius 
Smith was in the house. After a short pause she re- 
plied : 

" ' He is in bed. I will go and call him.' 

" ' No; tell me where he lodges/ said Brush. 

" ' Up stairs in the bedroom.' 

" Warning her to keep quiet, he took a candle, and 
leaving one to guard her, the other three crept silently 



192 HISTORY OF THE MINISINK REGION. 

up stairs. Without noise they slipped into the bed- 
room, the door of which was standing ajar, and before 
he awoke seized him. He made a powerful resistance, 
taken unawares as he was, and tried hard to get hold of 
the pistols under his pillow, but it was useless. They 
quickly tied him with a cord, and the next morning had 
him safely landed in Connecticut. Brush immediately 
sent a messenger to Gov. Clinton, then at Poughkeepsie, 
who directed him to be brought to Fishkill. Here, as 
we all know, he was taken charge of by Col. Isaac 
Nicoll, the Sheriff of Orange county, and brought to 
Goshen under guard of Col. Woodhull's troop of light 
horse, accompanied by the leading men of the county. 
And there he is now, chained to the floor, and guarded 
as I said before." 

" Well/' said the landlord, glancing at the clock in the 
corner, and yawning as he spoke, " I guess we have 
about concluded Claudius' history for to-night, as I see 
it's time to close. It has been pretty nearly all gone 
over and summed up; all it needs now is an ac6ount of 
his execution to complete it, and that I don't think we 
shall have to wait for longer than the first sitting of the 
court." 

Here the man with the timid voice rose and said that 
as he wanted a little something to strengthen his lungs, 
he would propose that the man who wore the lapstone 
hat should treat the company, as he was the only man 
whose hat would stand a wetting. To this the owner of 
the hat demurred, but finally agreed to pass it around, 
which was done, and each one putting in a piece of 
change the landlord treated the company for its con- 
tents, and in a short time thereafter the last customer 
had departed, and " Old Grey court " was alone with its 
occupants. 



OREYCOURT INN, 1#3 

Well indeed had Claudius Smith been termed " The 
Scourge of the Highlands.' 7 Of English parentage, it 
was no wonder he should be inclined to adopt the creed 
of the mother country, and when to the principles of a 
rank Tory he added those of the blackest villainy and 
most bloodthirsty revenge, at the head of a savage crew, 
and in the fastnesses and caves of the Highlands, Bell- 
vale and Warwick mountains, well and truly did he make 
himself so feared and dreaded as to earn the title of 
" The Scourge of the Highlands." His thievish propen- 
sity was said to have been encouraged by his parents, 
and the first article stolen, a pair of iron wedges. This 
talent he nursed and fostered in himself and his three 
sons, Richard. James, and William, and carried on on 
the largest scale, including occasionally the murder of 
some unoffending patriot of the Whig persuasion, until 
at last, as we have seen, he was apprehended and lodged 
in prison. At the January term of the court, next after 
his arrest, he was indicted on three or four charges of 
robbery and murder, and found guilty on them all. 
When asked by the Judge if he had anything to say in 
his defense, he replied with the same firmness that had 
characterized him all through his imprisonment and 
trial, "No, if God Almighty can't change your hearts I 
can't." The court then sentenced him and five others 
of his gang also found guilty at the same time, (a woman 
named Amy Augor or Amy Jones. Mathew Dolson, 
John Ryan, Thomas Delamer, and James Gordon,) to 
be hanged on Friday, the 22d day of January, 1779. 
He lived in hopes every day that his men would under- 
take his rescue, but he was too strongly guarded night 
and day for such an attempt to succeed. The day of 
his execution at last arrived, and with two of his men. 
Delamer and Gordon, he was taken from the jail to tho 
9 



194 HISTORY OF THE MINISINK REGION. 

gallows. He was a large, muscular man, and walked 
up the steps of the scaffold with a firm, manly air. He 
had dressed himself with scrupulous neatness in a suit 
of rich broadcloth with silver buttons, and as he stood 
upon the scaffold and- cast his eye over the assembled 
thousands who had gathered out of curiosity to see the 
great bandit die, he smiled grimly and bowed to several 
he knew in the crowd. It was a wild scene the clear 
sun shone on that winter's day in Goshen. The con- 
demned, standing on the verge of eternity, in gorgeous 
apparel, with his silver buttons glittering gaily in the 
sunbeams, and the horde of eager thousands trampling 
the crisp snow, and jostling, and crowding each other 
for a sight of him. A man elbowed his way near the 
scaffold, and asked Smith to tell him where he could 
find his deeds and papers that were stolen from him on 
a certain occasion. He replied, " Mr. Youngs, this is 
no time to talk about papers ; meet me in the next 
world and I'll tell you all about them." Ho then kicked 
off his shoes, saying, " My mother said I would die like 
a trooper's horse, with my shoes on. I will make her a 
false prophet and a liar." He then glanced at the 
eastern hills, toward the scenes of his many daring 
deeds, expecting, perhaps, to see his followers swoop- 
ing down to his rescue from their mountain fastnesses, 
but they were not to be seen ; nothing met his eye but 
the undulating hills, covered with the crusted snow and 
sparkling in the sunbeams. 

" That bright dream was his last." 

The cap was drawn over his eyes, the rope adjusted 
around his neck, the cart driven from under him, and 
''The Scourge of the Highlands" was no more. 

After the death of Claudius, his son Richard took 
command of the gang, the oldest son, William, having 



GREYCOURT INN. 195 

been killed in some marauding expedition the fall pre- 
vious. They threatened the most dire vengeance for 
the hanging of their leader and the shooting of William, 
against every one favoring the rebel cause. On the 
26th of March (1779) following they took John Clark 
from his residence, near the Sterling Iron Works, a 
piece into the woods, and after stripping off his outer 
garments told him to go home. While returning, with 
his back to them, they shot him dead and left him 
stretched upon a rock within sight of his dwelling. Jl 
note was left pinned to his coat, of which the following 
is a cop}^ : 

"A Warning to the Kebels. — You are hereby 
warned at your peril to desist from hanging any more 
friends to government as you did Claudius Smith. 
You are warned likewise to use James Smith, James 
Fluelling and William Cole well, and ease them of their 
irons, for we are determined to have six for one, for the 
blood of the innocent cries aloud for vengeance. Your 
noted friend, Capt. Williams, and his crew of robbers 
and murderers we have got in our power, and the blood 
of Claudius Smith shall be repaid. There are particu- 
lar companies of us who belong to Col. Butler's army, 
Indians as well as white men, and particularly numbers 
from New York that are resolved to, be avenged on you 
for your cruelty and murder. We are to remind you 
that you are the beginners and aggressors, for by your 
cruel oppressions and bloody actions you drive us to it. 
This is the first, and we are determined to pursue it on 
your heads and leaders until the last — until the wdiole 
of you are murdered." 

This created quite an alarm for a time, but the issuing 
of such rude, blustering threats soon grew to be re- 
garded as a symptom of weakness. Their atrocities 



196 HISTORY OP THE MINISINK REGION. 

produced here and there a man, who devoted his whole 
time in following their trails and picking them off as 
occasion offered. Benjamin Kelley, one of their best 
men, was shortly after shot by a rebel scout named 
June, who surprised them at card playing. They all 
made off at the time ; but Kelly's body was afterward 
found near a sulphur spring where he had crawled, by 
one John Henley and his dog. Claudius' sons did not 
possess the talent and sagacity of their father ; the 
band got dissatisfied and broken up speedily under 
their leadership, and at last the remaining members 
were forced to flee to Canada; and thus ended the 
highwayman's profession in Orange county, at least on 
a large scale, it is to be hoped forever. The scene of 
their exploits has changed somewhat, since those days 
of lawlessness and bloodshed, but most of the localities 
will long be remembered in connection with the men 
that made them famous. Their retreats in the moun- 
tains can be easily found to this day by the curious, 
especially the most noted, a little east of the Augusta 
Iron Works in the town of Monroe. That they buried 
much valuable property in these mountains, may be 
inferred from the fact that in 1805 or 1806, some of 
Smith's descendants came from Canada, and searched 
for the property according to the directions that had 
been handed down to them. They found a lot of mus- 
kets in a good state of preservation, but nothing else. 
Again, about 1824, two men, descendants of Edward 
Roblin, came from Canada with written directions, and 
explored the country thoroughly but found nothing. 
Various other persons fished in the spring where it was 
said the silver stand was sunk, but without success ; 
and it is generally supposed that some member of the 
band found out the depository, unknown to Smith or 



OREYeOUPvT INK. ttl 

Roblin, and appropriated it to his own iise. At any 
rate, there is no record of the treasures ever having 
been found, and unless revealed by chance, it will most 
probably remain entombed till the sound of the last 
trump, if it has not been recently removed. 

Well may those days be called " the times that tried 
men's souls/' judging from the glimpse we have taken 
at a small period in the history of Orange, and a few 
instances only of Tory robbery, cruelty and murder, 
such as marked the historv of Claudius Smith and his 

%r 

men. Thanks to Providence we shall never see the like 
again. 



CHAPTER XV. 

THE LEGEND OF MURDERER'S CREEK. 

The stream that forms the subject of this sketch, is 
composed of two principal branches, both of which rise 
in the town of Chester. The one rising in the west, is 
first known as Meadow brook, and flows northwardly 
into the town of Goshen, assuming as it becomes enlarged 
the title of Otterkill. The one rising in the east goes 
by the cognomen of Trout brook for a short distance, and 
then by that of Seely's creek, till it flows through the 
Greycourt meadows, after which it is called by some 
Greycourt creek, and by others the Cromline creek, in 
honor of Daniel Cromline, one of the first settlers in 
the vicinity, and the founder of " Greycourt Inn. 77 It 
flows northwardly to near the boundary line between 
the towns of Hamptonburgh and Blooming Grove, where 
it unites with the Otterkill at a small village of the 
same name. After the junction of the two streams the 
continuance is known as Murderer's creek, and flows 
through portions of the towns of Blooming Grove, Corn- 
wall and New Windsor, finally emptying into the Hud- 
son river between Cornwall Landing and the village of 
New Windsor, at Plum Point, the village at its mouth 
being known as Moodna. 



THB LEGEKD OP MURDERER^ CREEK- J 99 

A century and a half ago, as the tradition goes, long- 
years before the wilderness that lined its banks and 
furnished a home for the wild beast and Indian, had 
given way to the busy industry of the white man; long 
before the mills, and factories, and beautiful villages that 
now throng its shores had an existence in the dreams of 
either the red or white man, its surrounding wilds were 
inhabited by a tribe of Indians whose name, like them- 
selves, has long since been buried in oblivion. Here 
the smoke of their wigwams rose in graceful wreaths 
upon the still summer air, amid the shouts of the young 
braves, who sported, as perhaps their race had done 
for centuries beneath the shade of their native oaks, un- 
aware that destiny had doomed them to ultimate ex- 
tinction, and their hunting grounds to the possession 
of a superior race. Yes, unaware that even then the 
forerunner of the coming tide that was to overwhelm 
them, was marching toward them with gigantic strides. 
It soon became known to them that a different race of 
beings were arriving along the shores of the great river 
that flowed past them to the ocean, but though at first 
much alarmed at the sight of them, they soon found 
them to be mortal like themselves, and at length grew 
to utterly disregard them. At last a white man named 
Martelair came and asked permission to build a house 
and to live near the mouth of their beautiful creek. 
This they readily granted, and in a very short time he 
constructed a log house about three or four hundred 
yards up the creek. Into this he soon moved his family, 
consisting of his wife and two children, one a boy of five, 
and the other a girl of three years old. He understood 
the importance of being on friendly terms with his rude 
neighbors, and made himself useful to them by a variety 
of acts highly estimated among savage tribes. He 



^00 ttlSTORY OP THE M1KI8IKK EgGIOff. 

never lost an opportunity of proving his good will 
toward them by making them accept his hospitality, 
and his house became a place of general resort. An 
old Indian called Naoman, was in particular very friend- 
ly, and would often come and sit in the house for hours, 
and smoke and play with the children. But Martelair 
heard of the difficulties in other sections between the 
settlers and Indians, and knew that his neighbors might 
prove treacherous at any moment. He discovered an 
island, some distance down the Hudson, which was well 
adapted as a place of refuge, and could be easily de- 
fended with a little preparation. When absent from 
home and unobserved, he arranged a small place among 
the rocks on this island so that one or two could defend 
it against an overwhelming force, and to this he resolved 
to flee in case of danger. 

One day, when Martelair was absent, old Naoman 
came to his house, and as usual lighted his pipe and sat 
down. But it was easy to see that he was troubled 
about something, for his face wore a serious look, and 
every little while he would shake his head and sigh 
deeply, though he said not a word. Martelair's wife 
asked him what was the matter, but he made no reply 
and soon went away. He came the next day, and again 
went away in the same manner as before. Martelair's 
wife related his strange behavior to her husband, and 
he told her to urge the old Indian to tell her the cause 
if he came again. He came the next day, and Marte- 
lair's wife at once insisted on knowing the cause of his 
trouble. She was so importunate that at last Naoman 
said: 

" I am a red man, and the pale faces are our enemies; 
why should I speak ?" 

" But," said Martelair's wife, " my husband and I are 



THE LEGEND OF MURDERER'S CREEK. 201 

your friends; you have eaten salt with us a hundred 
times, and my children have often sat on your knees. 
If you have anything on your mind, tell it to me; per- 
haps we can help you.'' 

" If it is found out, it will cost me my life, and the 
pale faced women are not good at keeping secrets," re- 
plied the old man. 

" Try me and see." 

; ' Will you swear by the great spirit to tell none but 
your husband ?" 

" I have no one else to tell. 77 

" But will you swear ? 77 

" I do swear by the great spirit, 77 said Martelair 7 s 
wife, " that I will tell none but my husband. 77 

" Not if my tribe should kill you for not telling ? 77 

" Not if your tribe should kill me for not telling. 77 

This satisfied the old Indian, and he then told her 
that his tribe had become so angry at the doings of the 
settlers below the mountains, that they were resolved 
that very night to massacre all the pale faces Avithin 
their reach. That if she would escape she must inform 
her husband speedily, take to their boat and seek a 
place of safety before nightfall. And above all to ex- 
cite no suspicion if possible. Naoman then departed, 
and the wife at once sought her husband. He was out 
on the river fishing. She called him to the shore and 
told him the dread intelligence. No time was to be lost, 
and he at once sprang from the canoe and sought his 
boat. It was partly filled with water and some time 
was consumed in bailing it out. When it was finished 
and his wife and children seated in it, Martelair be- 
thought him of his gun which was in the house. This 
he went back after, of course occupying a little time — 

oh ! how precious, as it afterward proved. As he pulled 
9* 



202 HISTORY OP THE MINISINK REGION. 

off from the shore, he did not notice the solitary Indian 
who was observing every motion from the hillside. 
The frequent visits of Naoman to Martelair's family had 
aroused the suspicions of the tribe, and a watch had 
been kept upon their movements. This was the 
business of the Indian on the hillside, and when he saw 
them going down the river in the boat, he at once ran 
to the village and gave the alarm. Five stalwart chiefs 
at once ran down to the edge of the river, jumped into 
their canoes and paddled swiftly after Martelair, who 
had already gained a considerable distance. He saw 
them coining and strained every nerve to escape. The 
boat quivered as it cleft the dancing waves in headlong- 
speed, obedient to the sturdy strokes of the oars, and 
left a trail of crested foam behind. But Martelair saw 
that his pursuers were gaining on him rapidly in spite of 
his efforts. Twice he dropped his oars and drew his 
rifle to fire upon them, but his wife each time grasped 
his arm, telling him if he fired and should after all be 
overtaken, they would be sure to obtain no mercy. He 
refrained each time, and again bent to the oars with the 
energy of despair. His island refuge was in sight; if 
he could succeed in gaining it he would bid defiance to 
the whole tribe until some passing sloop or ship would 
relieve him. The strength of his strokes almost caused 
the boat to bound from the water. Great drops of 
sweat rolled from his forehead as he plied the oars on 
that race for the lives of himself, his weeping wife and 
children. But it was all in vain. He was overtaken 
within a hundred yards of the island shore, and taken 
back with yells of triumph. (This island is opposite 
West Point, was partly fortified by the Americans in 
1775, and is still known as " Martelair's Rock Island.' 7 ) 
After reaching the shore with their prisoners, the Indi- 



THE LEGEND OF MURDEREITS CREEK. 20?> 

ans set fire to Martelairs house, and proceeded to the 
village with their captives. A council was immediately 
convened to determine their fate. This was composed 
of the chief men of the tribe, among them old Naoman. 
The principal brave stated that some of the tribe had 
proved treacherous and informed the pale faces of the 
designs of the tribe. He proposed that the prisoners 
should be examined in regard to it. This was agreed 
to, and an Indian who could talk English acted as inter- 
preter. Martelair was questioned first, but resolutely 
refused to reveal his informant. His wife was ques- 
tioned next, while to terrify her two Indians stood with 
drawn tomahawks threatening the two children. She 
told them that she had a frightful dream the night 
before and had persuaded her husband to fly. 

" The Great Spirit never deigns to talk in dreams to 
a pale face/ 7 said the chief. " Woman, thou hast two 
tongues and two faces; speak the truth, or thy children 
shall surely die." The little boy and girl were then 
placed beside her, and the two savages stood by with 
drawn weapons to execute his orders. 

" Will you name." said the chief, " the traitor who be- 
trayed his tribe ? I will ask three times." 

The mother was pale and trembling, but did not 
answer. 

*f Will you name him ?" said the chief. " This is the 
second time." 

The tears gathered in the mother's eyes as she glanced 
at her husband and children. She stole a glance at 
Naoman, but the old chief was smoking as unconcernedly 
as though ignorant of their presence. She wrung her 
hands in silent agony but answered not a word. 

" Again," said the chief, ll will you name the traitor ? 
This is the third time." 



204 HISTORY OF THE MINISINK REGION. 

The agony of the mother's mind was fearful. Bitter 
tears ran down her cheeks. The tomahawks were 
raised over the heads of the children for the death blow, 
and their voices were united in frightful cries for their 
mother to save them. She again glanced through her 
tears at Naoman, but his eye was as cold and indiffer- 
ent as before. Still she kept her word. Another mo- 
ment would be her children's last. 

Suddenly Naoman rose to his feet. All paused and 
turned their eyes toward him. " Stop !" he cried with 
a tone of authority as he drew his majestic form to its 
fullest hight; M The pale faced woman has kept her 
pledge. Braves, I am the traitor. I ate of the salt, 
warmed myself at the fire, played with the children, 
enjoyed the kindness of the pale faced Christians, and 
it was I who warned them of their danger. Braves, for 
many moons I have been your companion on the war 
path. I am old and useless in the war dance. I am a 
withered, leafless, branchless trunk; cut me down if 
you will, I am ready; but never let it be said that old 
Naoman forgot his friends." The old Indian's remarks 
were followed for a moment with perfect silence, but 
the Indian character could not appreciate the motives 
of his course; the next instant a yell of indignation 
arose from all sides. The old chief stepped down from 
the bank whereon he had been sitting, and covered his 
face with his mantle of skins; the next moment a toma- 
hawk cleft his skull and he fell dead at the feet of those 
he had so nobly died to save. 

" Bl^t the sacrifice of Naoman," says Paulding, " and 
the firmness of the Christian white woman, did not suf- 
fice to save the lives of the other victims. They per- 
ished — how, it is needless to say." 

Many years have passed since then. The murdered 



THE LEGEND OF MURDERER'S CREEK. 205 

and the murderers have long ago gone to meet their 
reward in the spirit land. Splendid farms and happy 
homes now occupy the scene of the tragic incidents 
attending the death of Martelair's family. But the 
memory of their fate has survived the lapse of time, and 
is still preserved by the name of the pleasant stream 
on whose banks they lived and died, which, to this day. 
is called Murderer's creek. 



6 



CHAPTER XVT. 

A REMINISCENCE OF THE WALLKILL. 

Sluggishly the current of the Wallkill was rollin 
along one afternoon not many weeks ago. The morn- 
ing had possessed all the requisites deemed so neces- 
sary to success in fishing as well as hunting, 

"A southerly wind and a cloudy sky;" 

but though I occupied about the best fishing ground 
along the stream, (a few miles above Pellet's Island 
bridge), had changed my base of operations many times, 
and had "cast my lines" in many pleasant places during 
the day, still the array of fish in my basket continued 
alarmingly small. At last scarce a nibble disturbed 
the serene repose of my line in the deep water, and 
allowing the end of my pole to drop in after the line, I 
leaned back on the rank wild grass that covered the 
bank, drew my hat over my eyes to keep off the glare 
of the sun that had just broke through the scattering- 
clouds, and naturally enough, my thoughts recurred to 
the reminiscences that cluster around the vicinity of 
the gliding stream before me. How many a swift 
canoe had darted over its surface and followed its 
crooked course, rounding the bends with a graceful 
curve, obedient to the command of some stalwart Indi- 



>A REMINISCENCE OP THE WALLS ILL. 207 

an chief. How many a dark female of the woods, in 
all the regal beauty of her native wildness, had roamed 
along its banks, and had perhaps been wooed and won 
beside the sparkling water and beneath the overhanging 
boughs of the leafy maple and water birch, that then 
no doubt, presented an interminable forest on either 
side. Yes! and how many scenes of strife, and daring 
strategy, and wild ventures for life, and narrow escapes 
it had witnessed in the days when the bear, panther, 
wolf and red man mutually came from the dark recesses 
of their native fastnesses to bathe in and drink its 
limpid flood, long years before the white man and his 
attendant, civilization, had made themselves known in 
these mighty solitudes, where the Indian had indeed 
sought and found a home. 

" Some safer world in depth of wood embrac'd, 
Some happier island in the wat'ry waste, 
Where slaves once more their native land behold, 
Xo fiends torment, no Christians thirst for gold." 

And, since the advent of civilization, how many com- 
panies of gay ladies and gentlemen had sailed over its 
surface, had discoursed with grammatical precision, had 
fished with all the ease and grace polite society confers, 
had flirted in the most approved style, and in all the 
pride of good looks that the most profuse use of paint 
could produce and the dignity of garments of the most 
fashionable make inspire ; on the very spot perhaps 
where hundreds of years before the Indian wooed his 
dusky maid in all the simplicity of savage wildness, 
with no paint but the war paint that decked his every 
limb, in garments that had never felt the snip of shears 
or hiss of tailor's goose, and in language that can scarce 
be said to have a grammar. Yet death has sent them 
to mingle in one circle in the happy spirit land — either 



208 HISTORY OP THE MINISINK REGION. 

the " civilized" stripped of their pride, hypocrisy, art 
and science, or the savage at once put in possession of 
all these faculties by the hand of omnipotent power. 

Many a social revel, in a friendly way, of hardy hands 
and honest hearts, and many a day of pure enjoyment, 
too, has this old stream seen. Happy days of fishing in 
the pleasant fall and summer months, and lucky days of 
hunting in the early spring, when the " drowned lands" 
are overflowed with melting snow and the spring rains 
for the distance of a mile or more on either side, and 
the wild duck and goose make it their home. Days of 
enjoyment too, that will cause it to be long remembered, 
as well alike by the pretty country maiden who has 
roamed along its side, as by the hard fisted farmer who 
frequented it to find respite from his daily toil. And 
there are other mementos of it that recall to mind sad 
and painful thoughts. It was near this spot not many 
years ago, that a young man in springing from a boat 
in which were a number of ladies who had been upon a 
pleasure excursion, fell short of the shore and sank to 
rise no more in sight of his horrified companions. Only 
a few miles below here, and but a year or so ago, the 
lamented young Dr. Putney was drowned by the acci- 
dental upsetting of his canoe while out hunting. And 
well do I remember hearing old residents of the vicinity 
tell the particulars of another sad incident, which now 
occurs to my mind. 

In the spring of the year 1827, the freshet upon the 
" drowned lands" was unusually high. The geese and 
ducks were holding high carnival on its wide extended 
surface and amid its submerged swamps. Duck shoot- 
ing occupied the minds of all who were in the habit of 
taking an occasional holiday in that kind of amusement, 
or who had any relish for a bit of roast game now and 



A REMINISCENCE OF THE WALLKILL. 20ft 

them The morning of the loth of March of that year 
dawned exceedingly blustery and cold, but it did not 
deter two young men from leaving home to engage in 
a day's hunting along the Wallkill. They had their 
minds made up a day or so before, and were determined 
to let no trivial circumstance disappoint them of a day's 
sport. One of them left a young and beautiful wife — 
a lady who attracted attention wherever she appeared 
by her handsome looks and imperial manner ; in fact 
was the admired and envied of a large circle of acquain- 
tances surrounding the then thriving little village of 
Brookfield. The other was unmarried. Both were 
men of good families and extensively known. The day 
passed away and they did not return. Another dragged 
its slow length along to the now alarmed and anxious 
families awaiting them, and still they did not come. 
Ah ! look, young wife, through the long, long day, and 
sleepless, lonesome night, and mourn ; and you, too, ye 
friends, for they never shall return in the pride of their 
strength and manhood. Their well known manly forms 
shall never again occupy their former places in the 
family circle. Never more shall their vivacious conver- 
sation, their ever ready jest, or their merry ringing 
laugh be heard this side the grave. For the unpitying 
waters of the Wallkill have taken them to its deadly 
embrace, and buried in eternal stillness the flow T 
of their genial souls on earth. 

How the3^ struggled for life no mortal man may know. 
What agonized and frenzied feelings wrought their 
breasts in those long hours of suffering, no pen can ever 
tell, when after the upsetting of their canoe they found 
themselves so benumbed by cold and wet as to be 
.unable to get it righted, and were forced at last to 
abandon it and make a last venture for life and the 



210 HISTORY OF THE MJNISIN'K ttKGIOM, 

mainland. The water not being very deep here, in 
some places in reality of easy wading depth, (it was 
some distance from the main channel,) they struggled 
on through sunken morasses and dangerous quagmires 
with the desperation of despair. Alternately buoyed 
up with a faint hope, and anon hopeless, as obstacles 
were overcome and stronger ones came to view, till at 
last fatigue and cold crowded out the little spark of life, 
and they perished in sight of the dry land for which 
they were striving. The searching parties shortly after 
found them and dragged ashore the remains of these 
two unfortunate men, and many is the time the hard fate 
of Duncan Hulse and Milton Howell has been told 
around the evening fireside by those to whose memory 
it is as a tale of yesterday. 

Years have passed since then, and time, as ever, has 
wrought its changes. Not long since I was standing in 
the streets of a neighboring village, when I chanced to 
notice a wasted female form passing by. Her faded 
calico dress was fluttering in the breeze like the last 
sere leaves of autumn that still cling trembling to the 
trees. A bonnet of straw that had apparently been 
bleached by the sun of many summers, with a single 
flower and bow-knot of the same faded hue adorning the 
top, completed her attire. Onward she passed with 
trembling hand and wild maniacal stare, with head ever 
shaking, shaking, and incoherent sentences constantly 
issuing from her lips. The boys stopped their play for 
a moment as she went by, and said, " Poor crazy Betsy.'' 
Yes, this was the once accomplished and beautiful 
bride, the admired and envied wife. 

The waters of the Wallkill are still noiselessly gliding 
on, 

" Onward, erer onward, and still on to the sea/' 



a EBMIKISCBKCfi OF THE WALLKtLft 211 

unmindful of the incidents time brings beside its shores. 
Even so — 

u Life is a stream — how fair its face, 
How smooth its dimpling waters pace, 

Its canopy how pure. 
But rocks below, and tempests sleep. 
Insidious o'er the glassy deep, 
Nor leave an hour secure." 

Yes, reader, such is life, and before many years you and 
I will disappear beneath its surface and be known on 
earth no more. But never mind, 

" My friend, adown life's valley, hand in hand, 

With grateful change of grave and merry speech, 
Or song, our hearts unlocking each to each, 
We'll journey onward to the silent land." 



THE END. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



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